


You are my snowflake

by Marianita195



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: A/H, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-17
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-02-05 01:08:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 57,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1799914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marianita195/pseuds/Marianita195
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus is an artist with a promising career, a hard past and certain difficulties to be open to new people. Caroline is an advertising agent who competes with men in a very hard business. The agency she works for chose her to be in charge of campaign that advertises Niklaus Mikaelson's next art exhibition. Based on a scene from TVD 4x09.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I gotta give it to you, there's more people here that I first expected.” Stefan said as he looked at the crowded art gallery before sipping his glass of champagne.

“Don't forget I managed to do it with less money that we first expected.” Caroline said with a smirk.

“Really?” Stefan asked raising an eyebrow.

Caroline smiled and nodded. “Mhmm! Let's thank the Internet and Tumblr!” She joked. “Using social media and networks made the job easier, you post it and people share it for free! If I keep in the right track I might become my agency's Community Manager, which would be a big step!” Stefan could feel Caroline's excitement as she spoke. She seemed a very energetic woman, which made him feel like picking her agency to advertise his client's work was the right choice.

“I might write you a reference, then.” Stefan offered. He promised he would only be Klaus' manager, but he was very impressed with the signs Caroline designed and managed to put up all around the city.

“That would be nice, but I advertise my own work.” She replied. Yes, she was a tough cookie, working in a men's world. Being in advertising wasn't easy, but she was good at it, and so passionate, every job seemed like a challenge that she would accomplish and celebrate. 

 

There was a sound that made the crowd go quiet. Klaus was standing in the back, facing the people, with a glass of champagne and a spoon that he used to knock it.

Caroline turned to him, like everyone else, expecting him to say a few words about that special night. This would be the first time she saw him. During the campaign, Caroline only spoke with Klaus' manager, Stefan, and his co-worker Marcel. She only knew Klaus by photos.

 

“Evening everyone.” Klaus said. “First I wanted to thank you all for joining me tonight. There's nothing better for an artist that having the people's support.” He said as he looked around, lifting his free hand indicating his paintings on the walls. “Second of all, I wanted to thank my manager, Stefan Salvatore, for making this unique opportunity possible.” He said as he lifted hiss glass towards his old friend. “Please, enjoy the art, the food and the lovely company.” He finally added to the crowd.

 

Caroline turned to Stefan and gave him a playful grin. “It looks like I won't be working for you too long, he seems capable of bringing people by himself.” She said, noticing how many important people walked to Klaus and offered him their hands to shake after his speech.

“You would be surprised.” Stefan replied, finishing his glass. “Now if you excuse me, I got a client whose back I should pat.” He joked and stepped away from Caroline.

 

Klaus was clenching on his glass of champagne. He begged Stefan to get other drinks for the party, like bourbon, but his manager refused, saying the last thing they needed was a drunk Klaus ruining his own exhibition. But the champagne didn't have the effect he wished for. It didn't burn his throat, nor made things fuzzy and clear at the same time. Stefan patted his back and excused everyone around the artist, telling them he needed to “steal him away for a moment” to talk about business. Or maybe there was some problem in the kitchen? Klaus couldn't tell, he wasn't listening, he was just trying to keep breathing, fearing he would have a panic attack any moment now. He didn't even remember Stefan pushing him away from the people.

 

“You okay?” He asked, not as manager, but as a friend.

“The fact that you have to ask that, means I'm not okay.” Klaus replied, quickly taking another glass from a waiter that passed by.

“It's just for one night, okay? Look around, a lot of people came to see you and your art tonight.” Stefan said looking around the gallery.

“No, they came to see Niklaus, the artist, not Klaus, the guy that is about to have a panic attack.” He replied while his hand tried to pull his tie from his neck, feeling he was suffocating. 

Stefan sighed and looked around. “Alright, I didn't want to do this but I knew you might need it.” He pulled out a bottle of pills out of his pocket, opened it quickly and took two pills.

“What's that?” Klaus asked with a frown.

“A little something that should help you stay calm.”

“Where did you get it?” It wouldn't be the first time Klaus got pills from a friend, but he seriously doubted getting drugged was a good idea.

“My brother gave them to me.” Stefan replied reluctantly. Klaus gave him a look. Of course Damon Salvatore was behind those. “Just take them.”

And he did. He swallowed the pills that Stefan put on his palm with a sip of his glass. He really hoped he could go through the night without any disasters.

“Now go and make small talk.” Stefan said, placing his hands on Klaus' shoulders. The young artist groaned, but Stefan was expecting that. “You need to make new contacts if you want to keep selling paintings. Which reminds me, Alaric told me you already sold three.” That was one victory for Klaus. Every paint sold was a reason to celebrate. He nodded his head and finished his drink before heading to the crowd.

“Did he buy it?” A voice said behind Stefan. He turned around and saw Marcel standing there. “I mean... I saw him give him the pills.” He continued.

“Yes, he did, and it better stay that way at least till the end of the night.” Stefan replied as he looked down to the bottle of pills he was holding. “Klaus can't know these are sugar pills.”

 

With a little bit of confidence in his steps, Klaus managed to walk around the people, sell a few more paintings and talk without running out of air or feeling annoyed by people's ignorance. The night passed, and despite Klaus wasn't as uncomfortable in his own skin as he first thought he would be, he still wasn't having much fun. Specially when he had to explain his paintings to a bunch of people who couldn't tell the difference between a Picasso and a Dalí.

Eventually he reached one of his oldest paintings, but he stood a few feet away from it, watching a young blond woman observing it. He could only see half of her face, but he could tell she was beautiful, her nose was small, her eyes were blue and her eyelashes seemed to frame those eyes perfectly. She was wearing a blue dress, tightly curled around her body from her thighs to her chest, leaving the legs and shoulders exposed. It made her curves look dangerous. But all Klaus noticed her smooth skin, her pinks lips and her golder hair falling in waves on her back.

Klaus lifted his hand and caught Stefan's arm without looking away from the woman.

“Who is she?” Klaus asked quietly. Stefan turned and looked at her. Caroline, the advertising agent. He looked back at his friend to reply when he came up with something better than a name.

“If I told you who she is, I would be ruining her chance to introduce herself...” He started before standing behind Klaus with his hands on his shoulders. “Go get her, tiger.”

 

The painting was titled “Frozen”. It was composed by black, white and gray lines. Putting them all together, Caroline saw the snowflake, white and frozen in the middle of so much darkness. She was so caught by the lines, the brushes and the colors she didn't notice the man staring at her. When the sound of a few steps getting closer pulled her out of her thoughts she turned to see the artist, Niklaus, approaching to her and turn to look at the painting while he stood next to her.

“Do you like it?” He asked without looking at her, but at the painting.

“Yes... that's a nice snowflake.” Caroline replied.

“Is my work really that literal?” Klaus asked, the amused tone in his voice covered his disappointment. He turned to look at her and he realized they were standing closer than he first intended, and there was a pair of big blue eyes looking right at him.

“I'm serious... there's something... lonely about it.” Caroline replied, struggling to put her thoughts into words. She blamed it to her ignorance when it came to art, and not to the fact that his accent and dimples made her mind go blank.

Klaus looked back at the painting. She was the first person that night to realize that. Hell, the first person to realize that ever!

“I'll take that as a compliment.” He said before extending his hand to her. “I haven't introduced myself. I'm Klaus.”

Most of the time, when people touched Klaus, even if it was an accident, it seemed to trigger a bad reaction. He had a hard time offering his hand for handshakes, but he thought since he was so calm that night, probably thanks to the pills Stefan gave him, that he could stay in control.

“I know, I'm Caroline Forbes. I did the ads for this event.” She explained as she took Klaus' hand in a firm, yet delicate handshake.

People tend to describe handshakes in many ways, Klaus would describe them as a very uncomfortable situation. This wasn't like that. His hand linked with Caroline's was beyond comfortable and he even forgot to pull his hand back for a good ten seconds.

“You are my advertiser.” He said out loud, although he was just realizing that. “Then how come we haven't met before?” He asked.

Caroline smiled proudly and nodded when he concluded she was his advertising agent. “Long story, the few times I came here Marcel told me you were working at your studio, then I got a cold so I did most of my work from my apartment. Now I'm better so I decided to stop by, plus Stefan gave the agency a few tickets and I wasn't going to let them be a waste.” She replied.

“I see.” Klaus managed to see. He listened to her, but he wasn't really thinking about her words as much as he was focused on her mouth and that light pink lip gloss she had on. He was distracted, like every time he drank too much, although in his opinion it wasn't possible champagne had him lightheaded so soon. “You were saying...” He continued as he turned to look at the painting. “There's something lonely about the painting...” Klaus was curious to know what made her say that.

“I don't know. I don't know anything about art.” She said completely honest, which was something Klaus admired. They both stared at it for a moment before Caroline spoke again. “Is that you? The snowflake, I mean.” She asked and Klaus smiled with amusement.

“What makes you think that, love?” He asked, feeling more comfortable around her than most of the people in the room.

“How do I explain it?” Caroline mumbled. “You know that snowflakes are one of a kind, right?” She waited for Klaus response, which was a simple nod. “What if that's what makes it lonely? Knowing that there isn't any snowflake like that one. And you're an artist, meaning you're one of a kind. Do you ever think of yourself as a snowflake?”

 

Klaus was astonished. Was this woman reading his mind? She had to be. No one ever seemed to know the true meaning behind his paintings, yet she did, after one look. He didn't reply Caroline's question, and after a moment of silence, the young woman started to feel uneasy. Her nervous laugh pulled Klaus out of his thoughts.

“I'm sorry. I tend to talk too much.” She said. Klaus quickly shook his head. 

“No, please, don't apologize.” He took two glasses from a waitress that walked around the crowd. “I find you fascinating.” He said handing her one of the glasses, which she took before he had the chance to ask her to join him for a drink. 

 

Did he just call her fascinating? Caroline couldn't remember the last time someone ever say something as simple as “you're pretty” to her. And now she was fascinating? She kept her cool tho. She was used to receiving compliments for her work anyway.

“I don't know about art, really. Except advertising, which I consider a form of art. It takes a creative process and a lot of passion. That's art to me.” She said. Most people would laugh at her, saying advertising is just a way to fool people, to make them buy things, not art. But Klaus could relate to that, to her.

 

“I'm sorry, I have to steal him away.” Stefan said to Caroline as he patted Klaus' back. He stayed away from the two of them since Klaus went to introduce himself, but now the night was reaching its end and he had to wrap it up.

“Of... of course.” Caroline said with a nod before turning to Klaus. “I think tonight was a success, so congrats!” She said, offering her hand for Klaus to shake.

It was now or never, go big or go home, give the girl an impression she wouldn't forget. He took Caroline's hand but instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his mouth and kissed her knuckles softly.

“It was a pleasure meeting you love.” He said, memorizing the surprise in Caroline's face, and then he added with a calm and low voice. “You are quite the snowflake.” He let Caroline's hand go and walked away with Stefan.

 

“Snowflake?” Stefan asked when they were far enough for Caroline to hear. “What did I miss? Is that a new way of flirting?” He was truly confused by his friend's behavior, it was quite unusual. Klaus didn't reply, he just smirked. Caroline was unique, like a snowflake. “It's a secret, mate.”

 

Caroline watched Klaus thank everyone once again and say good night. She still had a tingling sensation in her hand and her cheeks were pink, a blush caused by the way Klaus' big eyes seemed to peel off her clothes and make her feel naked, the way he called her love with that thick accent, and mostly the way he called her a snowflake.

 

The gallery was empty now, except for Klaus, Stefan and Marcel. Klaus still felt uneasy, which was weird because he didn't feel like that when he was alone with his friends. Marcel was swinging a bottle of bourbon around after serving the glasses for third time. At this point the liquor should make Klaus feel better, but it wasn't working. He was still thinking about the snowflake, about Caroline, about her pink lips and blond hair.

“I say tonight was a success.” Stefan said lifting his glass to Klaus. “You sold many paintings.”

Despite the obvious victory, Klaus just shrugged. After a moment the panic came creeping up his chest and he turned to Stefan with wide eyes.

“What is it?” Stefan asked, trying not to choke on his drink.

“Frozen... the paining... did you sell it?!” He asked. When Stefan shook his head, Klaus felt the air getting back in his lungs. “Good. Don't sell it.” He said shyly. “I want to keep that one.”

Stefan and Marcel looked at each other, surprised by the reason of Klaus' panic, and how easily it went away. Looking at the painting Stefan realized why.

“Please tell me you're meeting Caroline again.” He said with a teasing tone. Klaus made a face and shook his head. “That's okay. I have her number.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

The little Advertising agency "My grandma doesn't get it either" pulled some strings and managed to get an article about Klaus and his art the very next Sunday edition of NY Times, but since Klaus was related to some important English executive, the Times gave in pretty quickly. It was still very amazing considering he wasn't as known or famous in the USA as he was in England. The article explained the big success his exhibition was the night before and how wonderful his work was. And the last paragraph was dedicated to all the emotions Klaus put in his paintings.

For the article to be done, Caroline stayed up extra late that night, typed as fast as she could, drank more coffee than she should, mixing all the feelings Klaus' painting gave her with her professional duty as his advertiser in record time. She rather have more time to get it done but the printer needed it early for a last check before printing it.

She was still asleep in her apartment while in another place there was an over excited Stefan shoving the newspaper on Klaus' face. "You got amazing reviews! From artists, newspapers, art magazines!" He rambled on while Klaus painted, his back at his friend, finding himself in his own little world. "From our advertiser too." Stefan added, trying to get some reaction from the artist. "Of course it was a good review, it was written by an advertiser, who I'm paying." Klaus replied nonchalantly. "I don't know man, this article looks more personal than a professional relationship... Aren't you a little curious about what Caroline wrote?" yes, he was, he was very curious, but he acted like he didn't and waited ten long minutes after Stefan left to get up and reach the newspaper.

" _While some paintings are landscapes filled with light, we also find some dark abstract ones. Even though the styles are different, they all seem to be pieces from the same puzzle. Are they representations from different periods of Niklaus' life? Are they different aspects of his own personality? It's a mystery! And we can all agree that only makes his art even more attractive."_

The Times New Roman front made those words lack of the emotions Caroline put in them and only Klaus knew. Didn't she say she didn't know anything about art? She sounded like an expert to him. She was a masterpiece herself. That beautiful face, those pink lips and golder hair...

Klaus took a breath, trying to easy the feeling of his heart being squeezed in his own chest. He hadn't feel like that in so long, not since Tatia, and that's an experience he would rather not repeat. Going back to his painting was useless, all he could do was sketch Caroline's beautiful face in his sketchpad.

Her words in her article were kind and sweet, matching her personality. Klaus knew he should thank her for her wonderful work, she didn't just write a good review, she advertised the exhibition and made it a success. Picking flowers took longer than expected, red roses seemed too romantic, the lilies looked like he was saying "I'm sorry your dog died." or something like that. At the end, he decided to buy margaritas. They seemed happy, like Caroline herself.

* * *

"Shit! Sorry! I'm sorry I'm late!" Caroline said while rushing through the office to her desk. Elena looked up at her from behind her own desk, right across the room, and chuckled.

"Who are you apologizing to? You arrived ten minutes later than usual, not even Alaric is here." She said. Caroline sighed with relief, she never arrived late to work before, she wasn't going to start now, and she was sure as hell she wouldn't arrive after her boss. "I read your review on the Times. Look at you using big girl's words!" She teased and Caroline laughed, throwing her a paper ball.

"Uh shush! You know I like writing." She said back.

"Now, I'm serious, it sounded very interesting." Elena commented and Caroline smiled softly.

"It really was." Of course Elena didn't know Caroline wasn't talking about the art itself, but more about the artist. Those blue eyes, red, full and kissable lips, the dimples. And not to mention the stupidly sexy accent. Being so attractive AND british should be illigal.

"Delivery for Miss Forbes." A voice said. Both Caroline and Elena turned to see a young boy standing on the hall, holding a big bouquet of margaritas. Caroline groaned.

"Damn it Tyler..." She mumbled and took the bouquet from the delivery guy.

"Is he still trying to make you forgive him?" Elena asked from her chair.

Things with Tyler ended so bad. How else would a relationship end when the girl finds her boyfriend cheating? Caroline sighed and put the flowers in a glass on her desk.

"Only if that Hayley chick decided she was done with him. After I told him I could never trust him again, he went right back to her." She said tiredly. Only then Caroline took the card hanging between the flowers and read it.

" _Thank you for your kind words. They were almost as lovely as yourself._

_Fondly, Klaus._

_PS: You're quite the snowflake Caroline. I can only hope I get the chance to see other qualities of yours."_

"Why is he calling you snowflake?" Elena asked, pulling Caroline out of her shock. She turned her head and saw Elena reading the card over her shoulder.

"Hey! Not peeking!"

* * *

Klaus walked back and forth in his studio.

"Stupid... stupid... love fool!" He groaned. He kept asking himself, why? Why?! Why did he have to do such corny thing. He was sure he had scared her away. "She probably thinks I'm a stalker or something! I don't even know if she has a boyfriend? What if I get her in troubles for that? She would hate me!" He protested. Marcel and Stefan both watched quietly while sitting on a brown leather couch. Whenever one of them tried to say something, Klaus spoke again, throwing insults and curses. It was like they weren't there. Stefan even started to look at his watch as he ran out of patience. They had never seen Klaus like this, probably because Klaus wasn't the kind of guy that sends flowers to a girl, he didn't write them sweet words and compliments, he just didn't! Marcel was starting to get really curious about this Caroline girl.

The heard the front door open and someone step in. Stefan got up and walked across the studio to lean on the inner balcony from the second floor. The gallery was closed for the moment and they weren't receiving any costumers, not when Klaus was in such state, but he wasn't expecting to see the pretty blonde woman who his friend couldn't shut up about. She had just walked in and was looking around the gallery, looking at the few paintings left after the exhibition."

"Caroline... hi..." He said surprised from the balcony. Klaus' head turned so fast, it made Marcel think it could have snapped. Caroline looked up and saw Stefan there.

"Stefan, hi! Sorry to bother you, but I was looking for Klaus. Is he here?"

Stefan turned to look at Klaus, who was standing too far for Caroline to see. He was shaking his head and mouthing "NO". Stefan just grinned.

"Yeah! He's here!"

And Klaus gave him a deadly glare.


	3. Chapter 3

Then...

“Stefan, hi! Sorry to bother you, but I was looking for Klaus. Is he here?”

Stefan turned to look at Klaus, who was standing too far for Caroline to see. He was shaking his head and mouthing “NO”. Stefan just grinned.

“Yeah! He's here!”

And Klaus gave him a deadly glare.

 

Now....

“Just one minute, okay?” Stefan said. “Klaus is busy, but he'll be down there soon.” He explained before walking away from the inner balcony on the second floor.

“No, no, no, no...” Klaus shook his head nonstop, still standing on the same spot he was a minute ago. “You have to tell her to leave.” He said through his teeth.

“I'm not doing that. She's a nice girl and she came to talk to you, so you're gonna talk to her.” Stefan said while placing a hand on Klaus' shoulder. 

“She probably came here to tell me I'm creepy for sending her flowers and to leave her alone, I think I rather pass and save me the embarrassment.” Klaus said.

“She's your advertiser, you'll have to talk to her about her job at some point... Or would you rather me to fire her?” He said on a teasing tone, knowing Klaus wouldn't want that. Klaus sighed and shook his head.

“No, I don't want that for her.”

“If you don't want her, I'll take her. ”Marcel's voice made both men turn and look. Marcel was looking down the balcony to Caroline, who was still waiting for Klaus and looking at one of his paintings. Stefan made a face, seeing Klaus give his friend a deadly glare and close his fists tight. Before Klaus could say anything, Marcel leaned on the rail and called out. “Hello sweetheart!” Caroline turned and looked up at. 

“Marcel, hi!” She said trying to sound like the usual bubbly self. Was she going to talk to all of Klaus' friends before Klaus himself? She was starting to get a little frustrated. “Is Klaus up there? Stefan said...”

“He's busy.” Marcel said with a shrug. “But if you want I can keep you company until he's free.” He added with a smirk.

Klaus suddenly appeared on the balcony next to Marcel. “No need for that, mate. I'm not that busy. Caroline, I'll be down there in a minute.” He said before turning to lean and speak to Marcel lowly. “Say another word and I'll tear out your liver.” He hissed before making his way down the stairs.

 

Caroline caught herself smiling when she saw Klaus walking down the spiral staircase. He looked so good in his gray Henley and blue jeans, so different from the suit he wore during the exhibition. She could see his necklaces peeking underneath the collar, he didn't look like some super rich, talented guy too good for this world, he looked... perfect. He fit perfectly to what Caroline would have imagined the artist looked like after seeing his paintings.

“Hey..” She said shyly when Klaus stepped closer.

“ _Pull yourself together, Forbes, this is not the time to get all shy!”_ Caroline thought

“Hello love, what brings you by?”

“ _Yes, smooth, act cool...”_ Klaus told himself in his head. _“I should have listening Kol when he insisted on teaching me how to talk to women.”_ Klaus knew how to talk to women, even though he usually didn't need it because they just threw themselves at him, but this time it felt different. This time he wanted to make a good impression.

“I wanted to say thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful.” Caroline replied with a smile.

Klaus never felt more relieved in his life.

“I'm glad you liked them. I wanted to thank you somehow for the amazing work you've been doing.” He said.

“And you did! Now it's my turn to thank you. Not just for the flowers, but for giving me a chance at doing what I love. The agency is still pretty small and none of us ever wrote for the New York Times before. It was an honor for me and my boss was impressed. It also made our agency look good so the guys and I are going out tonight to celebrate and I was thinking you could come by.” She said. “It's just drinks at a local bar, nothing too fancy. Marcel and Stefan can come too.” she quickly added.

The last thing Klaus wanted to do was to reject her offer, but he knew he wouldn't be comfortable at a bar with a bunch of people he didn't know.

“We'll be there!” Stefan said from the balcony. Both Caroline and Klaus turned to see Marcel and Stefan leaning on the rail, trying not to subtly to listen their talk.

“Great!” Caroline said. “Stefan has my number so just text me and I'll send you the address.”

 

“I'm still not sure this is a good idea. Remember what happened the last time? And the time before?” Klaus said while standing near the door. Marcel was already outside, waiting for his friend to follow him.

“Okay. “A” I'm not letting you drink too much so I doubt you pick up a fight and get your face smashed against the poor table, like the last time...”

“Stupid green rug burnt half of my forehead...” Klaus mumbled.

“And “B” Stefan and I will be there, you're good now, you haven't had a panic attack in a long time so I doubt we go through the same the time before.” Marcel continued. “We're not going out to get you drunk and kill your inner demons. We're going to have actual fun! And probably get you laid!”

Klaus growled.

“If you're implying that Caroline...”

“I didn't say you'll get Caroline tonight.” Marcel interrupted and smirked. “But you have your eyes set on her, don't you?” Before Klaus could reply, Stefan poked his head out of the car window.

“What is taking you two so long? I told you Klaus, that shirt is fine, it brings out your eyes.” He said.

“Bite me Salvatore!” Klaus said back.

“He's just nervous.” Marcel cut in. “This could lead to an actual date with Miss Forbes.” He teased. 

“Look at that, our boy is all grown up!” Stefan joked.

“Oh sod off, both of you!” Klaus rolled his eyes. “You know how I feel about crowded places!”

“Alright, hang on.” Stefan said before getting out of the car and tossing him a bottle of pills. “Those helped you the night of your art exhibition, maybe you could take one now and see if it helps you go through the night.”

“Are you sure this is safe?” Klaus asked while looking at bottle. Marcel laughed.

“I saw you take worse!”

Klaus shrugged and swallowed a pill, then threw the bottle back to Stefan and made his way towards the car.

Marcel and Stefan shared a knowing look. Klaus could never find out those were sugar pills.

 

“Someone needs to tell the guy from the shoe company that his breath stinks.” Sophie said before drinking her beer, right from the bottle.

“You see? That attitude is why you can't work on accounts anymore.” Katherine said with a smirk.

“Like you're any better.” Sophie teased. 

“Yeah, you tell people what's wrong with them all the time.” Caroline added.

“I'm a fashion journalist, people actually want me to say what's wrong with them.” Katherine defended herself.

“I don't remember asking you to tell me how boring my hair was last week.” Elena complained.

“Trust me, you will thank me when you change it.” Katherine said with a shrug. Elena didn't like the fact she said “when” instead of “if”. “A nice side bangs and some curls would do you good.”

“So I would look more like you? No way Jose.” Elena said rolling her eyes. 

“Please! You'd love to look like me.” Katherine teased.

“I already do! I'm your twin!” Elena groaned, making Caroline and Sophie laugh.

“Come on guys, stop bickering.” Matt said while standing in front of the booth to place their drinks.

“Matty blue blue, tell 'Lena I'm always right.” She said while resting her chin on her hand and making a cute pout. Matt laughed and shook his head.

“I will not get sucked into your fight. Let me know if you need anything else.” He said to the girls, but mostly to Caroline, before walking back to his place behind the bar.

“Mmm looks like Matty blue wants to play with our Barbie.” Katherine commented while winking at Caroline.

Caroline shook her head. Yeah she liked Matt, he was such a good friend, but that was it. They went on a few dates but it all ended when Tyler appeared in the picture. Now Caroline regretted everything. She ended things with Matt only to be cheated by Tyler, Matt seemed interested but things with him were awkward. And having Katherine gossiping around didn't help much. She groaned and put her head down on the table.

“I always screw things up.” She mumbled.

“Speaking of screwing... check out the hotties that just walked in!” Katherine said. Caroline lifted her head and gasped. Stefan, Klaus and Marcel had just stepped into the bar and were looking around for Caroline.

“Those are the guys I invited.” Caroline said. Katherine smiled naughtily and Elena's jaw dropped. 

“Wait, which one is the artist?” She asked.

“The blonde one in a white Henley.” Caroline replied. “Stefan is the one blue t-shirt and the other one is Marcel.”

“Kuddos, Barbie.” Katherine said.

“He was just thanking me for my good work.” Caroline said rolling her eyes and getting up.

“Oh yeah, I'm sure you worked it really hard.” Katherine teased. Caroline just shook her head and waved to Klaus and the guys.

 

After the introductions were made, the guys pulled some chairs closer to the table, ordered some drinks and talked for a while. Sophie and Marcel had inner jokes going on sooner than expected. Stefan and Elena gave each other bedroom eyes, which made Katherine roll her eyes and eventually go to the bar to keep drinking and talk to Matty blue blue. But Caroline didn't notice it right away, she was too caught listening Klaus talk about London, his hometown. He told her about his siblings, his time at the art school, how his father wanted him to be a lawyer or something like that and how that encouraged him to move away and start a life on his own. Caroline never met anyone so interesting so when he mentioned he had talked enough, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

He asked her about her life and she laughed nervously.

“Nothing compared to all the things you've done.” She said shaking her head.

“I'm sure it's not bad.” Klaus shrugged and smiled, showing those dimples that made Caroline's knees go weak. She was so thankful she was sitting right then.

Even though Stefan was enjoying the story Elena was telling about the time Katherine and their younger brother Jeremy were caught throwing toilet paper at their high school, he couldn't help but glance back at his friend. He hadn't seen Klaus being so relaxed around people since... well, ever!

After an hour or so, everyone left the table to play pool. It was Elena and Stefan against Sophie and Marcel. Caroline left to get more drinks and when she went back to the pool table she noticed Klaus wasn't there.

“Where's Klaus?” She asked.

“He went outside, probably to get some air.” Stefan said. Caroline just nodded and went out.

“What kind of name is Klaus anyway?” Sophie said.

“His name is Niklaus, actually.” Stefan replied.

“Wouldn't it be easier if people called him Nik?” Elena asked curiously.

“He only lets certain people to call him that, like his siblings and closest friends.” Marcel said with a shrug.

“But you call him Klaus too.” Sophie commented.

“Yeah that's because close friends who hit on his little sister Rebekah get to be an exception.” Stefan said before Marcel could explain. Sophie gave him a look and laughed. Marcel sighed and shook his head.

“Not cool, Salvatore. Not cool.”

 

When Caroline stepped outside the bar she was welcomed by the cold air. She shuddered and wrapped her jacket around her tighter while looking around for Klaus. She couldn't find him at first so she imagined he decided to go home, but then she saw him leaning on a rail, looking out to the Huston River run in front of him. Caroline smiled and crossed the street towards him.

“Hey.” She called out. Klaus turned and smiled softly.

“Hello sweetheart.”

“What are you doing out here? It's freezing!” She said, covering the fact she was always too curious for her own good.

“I needed some air. I don't do well in crowded places...” He said with a shrug and then looked down. “Or with people in general.”

Caroline frowned. She felt so stupid all the sudden.

“I'm so sorry, I didn't know.” 

Klaus gave her a puzzled look.

“Don't be, you didn't do anything wrong.”

Caroline dropped her hands on her sides and rolled her eyes.

“I suggested to meet at a bar filled with people.” She said. Klaus chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

“It's fine, really.”

“You still came. Why would you do that knowing you wouldn't be comfortable?”

“Isn't it obvious?” Klaus asked. When Caroline gave him a confused look, tilting her head to a side, Klaus knew he had to elaborate. “I fancy you.” 

The look on Caroline's face was priceless and Klaus found it adorable. Caroline couldn't remember the last time she was speechless, she always had something to say. But this time she was caught by surprise. Klaus seemed like such shy guy, she didn't expect him to be so honest.

“You... fancy me?” She asked, trying not to sound too hopeful and failing miserably. Klaus smiled and nodded. “Why?”

“Why not? You're beautiful, strong, full of light. I find you fascinating. Most times I feel uncomfortable around people I don't know but that doesn't happen when I'm with you. You're special... Like a snowflake.” He added with a smirk. Caroline smiled widely.

“Is that my new nickname?” She asked narrowing her eyes for dramatic effect. Klaus laughed and shrugged.

“It could be our thing, yeah.”

“So... what do you think makes me so different?” Caroline asked curiously, not just because she was flattered, but because she wanted to know more about him and how he saw her.

“I'm not sure. You make feel comfortable and nervous at the same time. Not nervous like other people. When I'm with other people I get a bad feeling, like I'm...” He thought for a moment, looking for the right words. “...on edge, jumpy, maybe even in danger. I felt that way the other night, but then I stopped and talked to you and it went away.” He said, smiling when he noticed how Caroline's cheeks went pink.

“But you said you feel nervous too.”

Klaus smiled shyly.

“That's because you're beautiful.”

Caroline blushed more and smiled back.

“Like a snowflake?” She asked wittily, which made Klaus laugh.

“Even more.” He replied.

“You know, you're a snowflake too.” Caroline said stepping closer to him.

Klaus nodded his head and shrugged.

“I'm aware I'm not like most people. “Weird” isn't even the worst I've been called.” He frowned, looking at the river. He felt Caroline's hand touching his arm. It felt warm and comforting, not threatening like most time someone touched him.

“No. You're not weird. I didn't mean it like that.” She said softly. Klaus turned his head to look at her and noticed they were standing very close to each other. Even with the very little light they had, he could still appreciate how beautiful Caroline was. “You're talented, handsome, polite. Your art is unique and that makes you unique as well. You're beautiful, and rare. You're a snowflake.” She said.

That was the sweetest thing anyone ever said to him.

He leaned and pressed his lips against her. It was soft and sweet. It made him feel all fuzzy inside, yet he never felt more sane in his life.

Klaus smiled against her lips.

“ _It's funny how a snowflake can make you feel warm.”_ he thought.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Klaus' POV**

Blue. Dark blue. Light blue. Black. A little white dot that made them look alive. Those beautiful blue eyes freshly painted on the canvas were looking right back at him. For a whole week Klaus thought about those eyes and those eyes only.

He had been so distracted he would forget to lock the door at the art gallery, he would leave the noddles on the stove for too long, he would forget to close the paint tubes. He was, like Marcel said, a love sick puppy. And it was all for certain blonde with blue eyes.

After that night at the bar a week ago, their meetings were short and most of the time they just texted each other. He wanted to see her again, but at the same time he wasn't sure how to act when she was around.

Maybe it was a good thing she didn't pick up the phone when he called earlier that morning...

"Klaus?" Caroline called out from downstairs.

"Fuck!" Of course Klaus wouldn't be so lucky. He quickly hid the portrait he was painting of her before making his way downstairs to the gallery. "Caroline, hello.." He started.

Caroline smiled widely. She looked adorable with a pale pink sweater and a white ribbon on her hair.

"Hey! I got your message."

Klaus flinched as he thought about that message.

 

...

" _Hi, you reached Caroline's phone. I can't pick up right now so leave a message!"_

" _BEEP"_

" _Caroline, hi... this is Klaus speaking. I was thinking we could meet sometime this week, just us, to chat. No work related." He said, trying to sound cool. "If you want..." So close! "So... call me?... This is Klaus." He repeated and hung up. "Fuck!" He facepalmed._

...

 

"Um you didn't have to come by, sweetheart." Klaus said nervously while rubbing his neck.

"It's okay. I just got out of a meeting near by so I decided to stop by... I hope I'm not interrupting you work." She said while making a face.

"No, not at all. I was about to take a break."

"Great, because I brought cupcakes!" Caroline said while lifting a pink box.

Klaus made coffee and they sat at their studio while eating. Klaus talked about the new collection he was working on -never mentioning his private and also new collection of drawings and paintings of her face-, she spoke about the new client she was working for and the upcoming campaigns. An hour passed before they knew and Caroline opened her eyes widely when she looked at her watch.

"Oh shoot! I have to go back to the agency!" She said getting up and picking up her cup.

"Don't worry, I'll clean here, you get going." Klaus said while taking the cup from her. She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then ran down the stairs.

Klaus blinked while his feet stayed rooted to the floor with his head tilted. Klaus didn't let many people touch him, yet he felt comfortable with Caroline, he just wasn't expecting her to be so comfortable with him as well. Before he knew he was leaning on the inner balcony.

"Caroline! Wait!" He called out. Caroline had one hand on the knob and was about to step out.

"Yes?"

"I.. um..." Klaus blinked again. "I want to see you again." He said. Caroline smiled widely.

"Do you like old movies?" She suddenly asked. Klaus nodded his head.

"Yes, why?"

"There's an old theater that once a week projects some old classic movie, sometimes even black and white. I think this week they're showing "Gone with the wind". You wanna come with me tonight?"

Klaus smiled widely.

"I'd love to."

"Great." Caroline smiled back. "It's a date." She winked and walked out.

 

**Caroline's POV**

Elena barely had to wait after she knocked on Caroline's door, because as soon as she did, the door flew open and Caroline's hand dragged her inside the apartment.

"Thank god you're here!" Caroline said. "I can't find anything to wear!"

Elena chuckled and looked around while they stepped into the bedroom. The bed was covered by clothes and there were many shoes scattered over the floor.

"Well I brought everything you asked me to, but seriously Care, you know how to dress for a date better than I do..." She looked around the messy room. "You must really like this guy." She commented while putting down the bag with clothes.

"I do. I really do. I just don't know what to wear because we've seen each other before so this doesn't count as a first date..."

"What about your third date sweater?"

"That's for daytime." Caroline said frustrated before dropping herself on the bed. Elena sat next to her and stroked her hair.

"Tell me how Klaus asked him out." She said. Caroline smiled as she thought about her time with Klaus.

"Technically, he didn't, I did. But he said he wanted to see me again... oh and this morning he left a message in my phone. He sounded so nervous, it was adorable!" She giggled.

"Is that why you were smiling like an idiot at the office?" Elena asked and Caroline slapped her arm playfully.

"Hey!"

"It's true! Anyway, he seems to like you a lot. You guys were awfully cozy the other night outside the bar." Elena teased while wiggling her eyebrows. "You guys are going to watch a movie, right?" Caroline nodded. "Well it's a casual date. And it's freezing outside..."

"Dresses are out of the question." Caroline finished. "Damn it! Stupid weather. My legs are my best features!" She said shaking her fist in the air.

"What about that red top Katherine got you?" Elena suggested. Caroline jumped from the bed and towards the closet. She had been dying to wear the red top Katherine brought after a photo shoot.

"I can't believe I forgot about it!" She put it on and posed for Elena. She laughed and wolfwhistled.

"Hot damn! Klaus won't know what hit him!"

Caroline's phone went off, the screen had Matt's name so Caroline picked right away.

"Hey Matt!"

"Caroline, hey! You wanna come and watch "Gone with the wind" with me tonight? I know you love it..."

Caroline made a face and looked at Elena.

"Um Matt, that's so sweet, thanks... But I'm watching that movie with a date tonight." She said embarrassed. Elena understood what was going on and frowned.

"That's okay. Have fun." Matt said before hanging up. Caroline started at her phone and pouted.

"He hates me!"

Elena quickly got up and hugged her.

"Awwwww..."

 

**Klaus' POV**

Stefan and Marcel watched in silence. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg played loudly from a small stereo in the corner. Klaus pressed the brushes against the canvas with wildness and almost madness. When his brush slipped from his hand because of the paint, he continued with his fingers. It was like he couldn't stop, not now when he was so into it, or the painting would be ruined. He couldn't see anything or anyone around him, except for the canvas and the paint.

"Have you seen him like this before?" Marcel asked in a hushed tone. Stefan made a face.

"Once or twice... one time was just a bad acid trip that left good profits." he replied and Marcel made a face. "Dark times. But he's okay now..." Stefan suddenly shut his mouth as Klaus put his hands in the yellow paint and then on the canvas. "I think..."

The music ended and Klaus stepped back, taking deep breaths. He looked up at his work and felt like he was looking at it for the first time, like he hadn't been in his body while he painted, but he had been possessed.

It was colorful and bright. It was happy. Not like anything he had painted before.

"Alright Pollock, lets get you cleaned up." Marcel said while stepping into the studio. Klaus blinked confused. He didn't notice Stefan and Marcel standing there before.

They pushed Klaus to his couch and made him sit. While Marcel wiped his hands with a wet cloth, Stefan sat on the coffee machine where he could face him.

"Klaus?... are you okay?"

Klaus nodded.

"Yes..." He said softly.

"Are you... high?" Marcel asked. Klaus frowned.

"What?" He hissed.

"Did you take something?" Stefan asked this time. "Pills? Alcohol? Maybe that weird cheese Marcel keep in his fridge for months?"

"Hey!" Marcel protested.

"No! I didn't take anything! Do I have to pee in a cup? Bring me a cup then!"

Stefan sighed and shook his head.

"So what has you so... hyper?"

"And happy!" Marcel added. When Klaus tilted his head and frowned, Marcel explained himself. "You never paint like that, and I don't mean in a 'call the exorcist, Klaus is possessed' way, but bright and cheerful!"

Klaus looked down, embarrassed.

"I have a date with Caroline tonight."

Marcel and Stefan looked at each other for a moment.

"Pffffffhahahahhahahahahahaha!"

"Stop laughing!"


	5. Chapter 5

Klaus couldn't remember the last time he was so nervous about a woman. He had girlfriends before when he was younger, but Caroline wasn't some high school girl that followed him around. And she wasn't Tatia.

Tatia had been a big mistake. It had been easy for Klaus to start a relationship with her because she was the one to make the first move. She was confident and beautiful. But she was also selfish and shallow. Her only interest was Klaus' money and his family name. She never understood him and even laughed of his insecurities.

Of course to Klaus that was normal. With Mikael always pushing him and pointing out every single mistake or flaw, Klaus really believed he wasn't worth much. And that's only the surface of all the damage Mikael did to him. Klaus still had a few scars of those dark times when Mikael would beat him, push him against the walls and the furniture, slap him whenever he spoke up. He had only stopped because at some point Klaus got old and strong enough to hit back. He never did, though.

Klaus never did anything about Tatia's constant flirt with other men, but when Tatia's new prey was his own brother Elijah, Klaus decided he couldn't take it anymore. Although technically Elijah didn't do anything wrong, he still felt guilty for his brother's pain. He always tried to protect Klaus from Mikael but most of the time failed, afraid that his own father would turn against him as well, and now he was the reason why his brother was heartbroken. So when Klaus told him he wanted to leave England and start a new life, Elijah helped.

 

Even after crossing the ocean and finally be able to paint without Mikael making fun of him, Klaus still thought he wasn't worth much. He was still shaky when people got to close. He lived thanks to the little money he managed to make while working for Mikael, but it wouldn't last long.

One night, about four years ago, a few months after he arrived to New York, Klaus was having a drink at a bar while sketching people's faces in his sketchbook. He knew no one would pay for those, but the feeling of the pencil running on the paper always made him feel at peace.

“Do you sell those?” A voice said. Klaus looked up to see a young man with funny hair taking the stool next to him. Klaus made a face and looked at the portrait in front of him.

“No one ever wanted to buy one.” He said with a shrug.

“I know people that would...” the man said. Before Klaus asked what he meant with that, the man turned to the little stage across the bar. Klaus turned as well to see a jazz band coming in to play. “Do you have a manager?” The man asked after a moment.

“No, I don't. I arrived to America not long ago and I just started to work in my art.” Klaus replied.

“What kind of art do you do?”

“Mostly abstract and impressionism, I paint landscapes too and of course, portraits.” He said, lifting his sketchbook. The man nodded.

“What made you come to America?”

“Freedom.” Klaus replied, not a hint of smile on his face.

“Oh, the American dream.” The man said. “I'm Stefan.” He added while stretching his hand. Klaus hesitated for a moment, since he didn't like touching people, or having people touching him, but trying not to be rude, he stretched Stefan's hand.

“Klaus.”

That moment the band ended their song and a dark skinned man, who played the sax, jumped from the stage and walked to Stefan.

“So, what do you think?” The musician asked.

“You're good Marcel, I enjoyed it. Sadly, music isn't my thing, but it is my brother's.” Stefan replied. Klaus watched confused while the guy from the band smiled more and more. “I'll tell Damon to contact you and maybe you can record something for him.” He said stretching his hand once again.

“That's great, thank you so much.” Marcel said while shaking Stefan's hand.

“No problem. I have to go.” He turned to pay his drink and then turned to Klaus, pulling out a little card from his pocket. “You should call some time and we'll talk about your art some more.”

Klaus looked at the card with Stefan Salvatore's name on it. His eyes widening when he read “Manager” underneath the name.

“You're lucky.” Marcel said. “He doesn't give his card to anyone.”

Klaus smiled.

“I guess this deserves a celebratory drink.”

Marcel smiled back.

“Oh I'm in!”

 

That was the first time in his life that Klaus thought his art was worth it, and with it, his life was worth as well.

 

But Klaus isn't the shy 24 years old he used to be. It took him a while to open up to his new friend Marcel and his manager Stefan, who became his friend too. But once he did, once they knew the sad story he carried they became the most loyal friends and they never let him feel worthless or insecure ever again. Until now.

Caroline was special, she wasn't Tatia, she was nothing like Tatia.

He knew she was a hard worker with a bubbly personality. From what Stefan gathered from Elena, Caroline was the most loyal friend a person could ask, a tough cookie that took crap from anyone.

And she had those eyes... oh those big blue eyes... and that shiny soft hair that smelled like strawberry...

Klaus sighed while running his hand through the steamy mirror. The hot shower he took didn't relax him as he hoped. He stared at his reflection and frowned.

“ _Should I shave?... I like how the scurf looks..._ ” He thought while rubbing his hand on his chin. “ _But what if she doesn't like it... Shave, yes, I should shave..._ ”

He would later wish he hadn't...

 

Caroline waited inside the theater because the weather outside was too cold. She checked the time on her phone for the fourth time, but it was still early. She looked around the old posters hanging on the walls and smiled, thinking how wonderful old movies were, even without the big budgets and special effects. There was something about them that made them magical. She chuckled, thinking her old self would make fun for liking old movies. She would look back to her years as a teenager and think “ _what a shallow girl..._ ”

She turned around just in time to see Klaus walking in. He looked around for a moment before spotting her and smiling while making his way towards her.

“Hey!” Caroline said, stepping closer to kiss his cheek.

“Hello love.” Klaus said. “I'm sorry I kept you waiting.”

“It's fine, you're actually early.” She said with a smile. Klaus looked so good in his dark jeans and gray coat, which was open and showing his light Henley. Oh and he smelled divine, with a hint of after shave.

“That's good, so shall we go get the tickets?” He asked while turning to the line. Caroline smiled and shook her head.

“Oh I already bought them!” She said pulling them out of her pocket. Klaus frowned. He felt disappointed.

“You bought them? What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you pay for the tickets?” He said tilting his head. Caroline smiled and shrugged.

“You can buy the pop corn and the sodas.” She replied while linking his arm with his. Klaus smiled and nodded his head. Once again Caroline thought of how adorable those dimples looked on him.

“Pop corn and soda it is. Maybe some M&Ms too?” They started walking towards the pop corn chart when Caroline noticed something on his neck.

“Hold on, don't move...” She said pulling the little piece of toilet paper with a red spot. “I think you forgot about this little one.” She said chuckling and throwing the paper away.

Klaus looked at her with wide eyes and blushed. He groaned and rubbed a hand on his face, clearly embarrassed.

“Oh god...”

Caroline smiled and kissed his cheek and Klaus instantly stopped.

“Forget about it. It flatters me that you shaved for this. Although, I do like the scurf.” She giggled.

“I'll keep that in mind.”

The movie was great. Klaus had a good time watching Caroline while she watched at the screen, fascinated by the movie. She would even whisper the lines she knew by heart. The light from the projection reflected on her skin and made her look like she was glowing. Klaus told himself to memorize her, so he could draw her later.

By the time the movie was done, they were both hungry and eager to talk instead of sit quietly. Klaus was very happy to see Caroline's reaction when he told her he made reservations at a small Italian place a couple of blocks away. It also gave him the chance to enjoy having her so close to him, since she linked their arms together once again while they walked.

The restaurant was cozy and romantic with dim lights, candles and low music. It was also expensive and had good reviews from well known critics. Caroline had the feeling Klaus was trying hard to impress her, and she was right. He even pulled out the chair for her to sit.

“Thank you...” She said impressed while he sat in front of her. “I feel silly... I suggested us to watch an old movie, while you clearly have exquisite taste.” She said while taking the menu.

Klaus frowned a little and shook his head.

“You have good taste in movies. Besides, we could be eating hamburgers with fries and I would still be having a good time.” He said with a smile.

“So you're having a good time now?” Caroline asked curiously and Klaus nodded.

“I'm with you, things couldn't get better.” He replied. Caroline blushed and tried to use the menu to hide her face. But Klaus caught a glimpse of her cheeks turning pink and he thought it was adorable. He put his index finger on top of her menu and pushed it lower so he could look at her.

“I apologize for not saying this sooner, but you look stunning, as always.”

Caroline felt hot, her cheeks were burning.

“Oh boy...” she said while taking her glass of water and she drank it all. Klaus chuckled at that. “Why thank you.” She said once she felt cooler. “You don't look so bad yourself.”

When the waiter came to their table, Caroline ordered the lasagna, while Klaus ordered risotto and an expensive red wine for both of them.

“I noticed you knew the lines from the movie, so I assume it's one of your favorites.” Klaus said. Caroline nodded and smiled.

“Oh yes, I loved the story since high school, I remember buying the book and in no time the pages turned yellow and the cover was ruined since I read it all the time.” She said with a chuckle. “I guess you could say I'm a romantic.”

“That's good.” Klaus said with a small smile. 

“I also felt identified with Scarlett. I used to be bratty and spoiled. I completed with Elena for everything, since she was popular and pretty and all the boys wanted her.” She said. 

“What changed?” Klaus asked, curious and interested in her story.

“One summer Elena's parents died in a car accident. She almost died too. I realized then Elena needed a good friend, not an enemy. And then I realized being a good friend to her gave a lot more pleasure than outdoing her.” She said, finishing with a shrug. “Scarlett learns to live with the adversities and grows up, she becomes a strong woman. I liked that and I wanted to be like that.” Klaus watched her in silence. He found her so fascinating. He smiled and poured some wine in her glass like the gentleman he was trying to be.

“Well, after hearing that, I think you've outdone Scarlett herself.”

Caroline looked at him while narrowing her eyes.

“You're trying to make me blush again, aren't you?”

Klaus chuckled.

“Guilty.”

 

They shared the dessert, which was a spongy tiramisu. Klaus let Caroline have most of it, without letting her know. He payed for the dinner, even though Caroline suggested to split the bill, and they walked out feeling content. Caroline's apartment was located five blocks away, near the theater they were before.

When they reached the first corner and were about to cross, Klaus looked down to her hand and bit his lower lip. He wanted to hold it. For the first time he wanted to touch someone. He was scared. Afraid of the way he could react to her touch. He hesitated for so long, he didn't notice that the traffic lights had changed.

“Klaus?” Caroline's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “We can cross now...” But still, Klaus didn't move. “Something wrong?” She asked with a frown.

“Caroline... you mind if I hold your hand?” He asked. He thought she would laugh at him, but instead she gave him the most beautiful and wide smile she could ever have.

“Of course.” She said taking his hand.

She had a hard time trying to keep her knees from giving away. The way he said her name and the fact he asked to hold her hand so nervously made her melt inside.

Meanwhile Klaus never felt more relaxed and calm. Her touch was like nothing he ever felt before. It was soft and warm, like he imagined, but also it was soothing. The way she stroked the back of his hand with her thump and gave him small squeezes every now and then was very calming.

Eventually they arrived to her building and Klaus walked her to her door. It was then when they both realized they didn't want the night to end.

“I had fun tonight.” Caroline said while taking her keys from her purse.

“Then we should do it again sometime.” Klaus said while leaning on the wall next to her door. He lifted his hand and tuck a stand of her hair behind her ear. Without thinking, Caroline tilted her head on his hand, so he stroked her cheek. “I want to see you again.” He said. Caroline smiled, thinking that's what he said earlier that day.

“I want to see you too.” She said taking a step closer to him. Klaus's eyes moved from her eyes to her lips, and when he looked up to her eyes again, he saw she was looking at his lips as well.

He leaned and pressed his lips against hers. He felt her hands moving to the front of his Henley and gripping it, pulling him closer to her. Klaus turned them a little to a side to press her against her door, slow and gently, yet it felt so passionate. Caroline's hands moved higher on his chest till they reached her neck, while Klaus' hands moved down to her hips.

How could an innocent good night kiss turn into that? They kissed until they were breathless. When Klaus pulled back to breath, Caroline looked at him intensely and for once, she was speechless.

“Oh...” She only managed to say. Klaus just smiled and caressed her cheek again. He wasn't expecting her to invite him in after their first date, so he just kissed her again and stepped back.

“Good night, my snowflake.” 

Caroline smiled at the nickname.

“Good night Klaus.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Points for those who can tell which TV show I got the idea from for the first part of this chapter! :D

It was the perfect Friday night. They had drinks, food, romantic movies, chocolate, everything they needed for the perfect sleep over. Caroline and Bonnie would be staying at Katherine and Elena's apartment for the night so they could catch up. The main topic: Klaus and Caroline's date. It had been the night before and the girls were dying to know everything about it.

“It was perfect!!” Caroline said as soon as Bonnie brought it up. The girls squealed and Caroline laughed.

“Bonnie, bring the chocolate, I'll unplug the phone!” Elena said while jumping from her chair.

“Don't start without me!!!!” Katherine yelled from the kitchen while she finished using the blender to make margaritas. Bonnie took the glass and the chocolate and they all rushed to sit on the couch and the sleeping bags to hear Caroline's story.

She told them everything, from the moment they met at the theater and how sad he looked that he didn't get to buy the tickets like a gentleman, to their dinner at the restaurant and to the moment they walked out.

“And he asked if he could hold my hand and I melted!” She said running her hands down her neck while sighing happily. “He smelled sooooo good!”

The girls giggled.

“And what happened then?” Bonnie asked curiously.

“We walked to my apartment holding hands and when we reached the door he told me he wanted to see me again and then... he kissed me!” The girls cheered. “He stroked my cheek and called me his snowflake.” Caroline said.

“That snowflake thing you guys have going on is the cutest!” Elena commented and Caroline nodded.

“I like it when he calls me that, it means he thinks I'm one of a kind.”

“So you were at your door, kissing... please tell me you invited him in and sat on his face.” Katherine said. Elena gasped and slapped her sister's arm playfully.

“Katherine! Don't talk like that!” She said, making Katherine roll her eyes.

“What? He has a nice face!” she joked.

“No, I didn't. He kissed me again and just said good night. I guess he wasn't expecting me to invite him in after our first date. I know we saw each other a few times before, but it still felt like a first date.” She said with a shrug. “But that kiss! UGH! It was perfect! He pressed me against the door, like he HAD to have me.” She continued. All the girls gasped and Katherine fanned herself. 

“I think he's a keeper and by Katherine's comment I'm guessing he's good looking.” Bonnie said.

“Oh he is!” Caroline said before squeezing her pillow. “Did I mention he's British?”

 

Meanwhile, a few miles away, the boys were hanging out at the Giuseppe Salvatore's house. Giuseppe was out for the weekend for some business, so the boys had the big house to themselves. That night Stefan had ordered pizza and Damon brought the beers.

While they waited, Klaus and Marcel played pool.

“I don't know man. “Gone with the wind”?... Really? Before you know it she'll have you reading Twilight and watching The Notebook... or one of those endless vampire dramas by the CW...” Marcel said while Klaus played his turn.

“It was her favorite book in high school and her favorite movie, besides it wasn't so bad.” Klaus replied. Damon stepped in holding beers for everyone.

“Tell me this, is she hot?” Of course the eldest Salvatore would ask that.

“She's gorgeous! Blonde hair, blue eyes, beautiful laugh...” Klaus replied while resting dreamily on his cue.

“Not to mention she has a nice rack.” Marcel added. Stefan slapped the back of his head before Klaus could protest. Damon just laughed.

“Don't be disrespectful.” Stefan said while Marcel rubbed his neck with a pout. “What happened next?” He asked.

“We had dinner, got to know each other. I payed, of course, and walked her to her apartment. And then... I kissed her.”

They all nodded and sipped their beers.

“With tongue?” Marcel asked.

“Yeah.”

“Nice!”

 

The week started uneventful. Klaus had been working on his next painting the whole morning. At this rate he would have a new collection in no time and he could open the gallery for another exhibition very soon. To say Stefan was proud and excited is an understatement.

Klaus heard the door open and close downstairs. He wasn't expecting anyone so he thought it could be a new costumer. He wiped his hands with a wet cloth and made his way to the stairs. He wished Stefan was there, since he handled people a lot better, but then he was pleased to see who had walked in.

His brother Elijah, who he hadn't seen in months stood in front of one of the paintings, looking at it thoughtfully.

“Your style is getting brighter... happier.” Elijah said while still looking at the painting.

“I thought there was no harm in trying new things.” Klaus commented with a shrug as he stepped closer. Elijah turned and smiled softly before giving his brother a hug. Klaus patted Elijah's back.

“Long time no see, brother.” Elijah said while stepping back.

“Too long, sadly. How are the others?”

“Kol is still a troublemaker, breaking hearts all the way, or that's what he likes to think.” Elijah chuckled. “Rebekah is growing up wonderfully, she's a beautiful woman.” He added.

“That's good to hear.” Klaus said. “I'm surprised to see you here. You never drop by unannounced.”

Elijah made a face.

“I needed to talk to you...”

Klaus didn't like those words at all.

Elijah walked to Klaus' studio and sat on the couch while Klaus walked to the small kitchen at the end of a hall to make tea. Elijah wouldn't just jump on a plane from England just to see his brother. Something was off. And clearly Elijah didn't wanna talk about it, because he took his damn time to get his cup of tea ready. Klaus thought he was going to make a hole on the floor from all the pacing he did.

“Spit it out, 'Lijah.” He said after a moment. Elijah sighed and put the cup down.

“Father is on his way here.” He announced.

Klaus' heart stopped for a moment and he felt his stomach drop. Just by hearing someone mention Mikael, he would feel the panic creeping on his chest.

“Mikael?.. he's coming?... why?!” He said suddenly breathing heavily. Elijah sighed.

“At first I thought it was because of the new office he's been planning on opening here in America. But then I found this.” He pulled out a paper from his pocket. He unfolded it and showed it to Klaus. Klaus recognized it right away. It was the article Caroline wrote for The New York Times Magazine about Klaus' exhibition. Klaus' shoulders dropped and he realized his hands were sweaty. He was nervous.

“I didn't know he was looking for me.” He mumbled.

“If he wanted to find you, he would have hired a private investigator, like he always does.” Elijah said in a disapproving tone. “So why now?”

“I'm guessing he didn't like the fact that I got a little bit of attention.” Klaus said through his teeth.

“I'm sorry, Niklaus. I thought he would leave you alone.” Elijah said. Klaus frowned after a moment when he realized something.

“You came all this way to tell me this? You didn't think a phone call would be enough?”

“I wasn't expecting you to pick your things and leave. You clearly have a life here.” Elijah explained. “So if father is coming, then I want to be here for you.”

Klaus saw the honesty in Elijah's words. For years he had protected him. Yes, he had failed, Klaus still got beat by Mikael, but no one could ever say Elijah was a bad brother.

“Thank you, brother.”

But even with Elijah there, Klaus still felt nervous and uneasy. Mikael was the reason why Klaus had so many issues. He thought he had escaped him years ago just to realize he was wrong. No one should ever feel that way about their own father.


	7. Chapter 7

**Klaus' POV**

 

“I'll be staying at the Hudson Hotel.” Elijah announced after finishing his cup of tea.

“You won't be staying at the lake house?” Klaus asked.

“The lake house is too far away, right outside the city. If Mikael shows up, I want to be here, or at least close enough for you to reach out to me.” Elijah explained. 

“When will he come?” Klaus asked nervously.

“I'm not sure. I only know he asked his secretary to buy a plane ticket to New York, but it could be any day now. Rebekah will let us know and I'll stay here as long as needed.”

Klaus was a grown man, but knowing his big brother had his back made him feel safer. There was something else besides Mikael's unexpected visit that made Klaus nervous.

“Now that we mentioned the lake house...” He cleared his throat. “I know it's for when you come to visit during summer and it was Rebekah's idea to get one. But I was hoping you wouldn't mind me if I stayed there sometime...” Klaus said. Elijah frowned when he started rambling on.

“That house is yours just as much as it is mine, Rebekah and Kol's, Niklaus. If you want to use it, then you don't need to ask me. But if you don't mind me asking, why do you want to stay there?” He asked curiously. Klaus groaned, he knew Elijah would ask.

“Well... There's a girl I've been seeing. Her name is Caroline...” Klaus started but Elijah smiled and raised his hand to stop him.

“You don't need to say more. I understand.”

“Thanks.” Klaus said. He was nervous, very nervous. He only had one date with Caroline but he was confident enough to say they would be seeing each other a lot more. Or at least that's what he hoped for. At some point he would like to surprise her with a romantic weekend by the lake... that, if Mikael didn't ruin everything.

 

Rebekah called a couple of days later to let them know that Mikael was officially on his way. He was in fact opening a new office for his law firm in New York, but the Mikaelson siblings knew very well Mikael always had a secret agenda, he didn't just do things because they were the right thing to do, or because it was good business. He would take cases specifically to screw up old enemies, he would plot against the competition, falsify numbers or papers just to to prove he was always right, not caring if someone went to jail for him or if he ruined people's lives. He was a very cruel man.

Rebekah's call was a week ago and Klaus didn't know for how long he could keep waiting for him to show up. He didn't sleep, he barely ate, he was on edge, jumpy and nervous. He couldn't paint, his hands were shaky... Only one thing would calm him down. Or should I say person?

When Caroline told him that the agency's artist was sick and she didn't know how she was going to put together the storyboard for her next meeting, Klaus offered to draw the shots for the storyboard himself, for free. Caroline had refused at first but he insisted, giving her big puppy dog eyes. At the end she didn't regret giving in, they spent the evening together and had fun. Caroline explained him the campaign and the little TV spot she wrote, Klaus drew the shots and they put them together for the presentation.

Klaus realized then that he hadn't think of Mikael all day. And even if he did, Caroline's smile would take his mind of it right away.

Since he did the storyboard for free, Caroline insisted he had to stay for dinner. He couldn't turn down the chance to spend more time with her, so he agreed and helped her while she cooked.

“I feel like I've been talking all day.” Caroline said with a nervous laugh while Klaus set up the table.

“That's fine, I don't mind.” Klaus said with a shrug.

“Still! You'll get bored of me in no time!” She chuckled while taking the food out of the oven to place it on the table. Klaus shook his head. Didn't she knew he could listen her all day? Whenever she rambled on about her job or her friend, Klaus thought she was adorable. “Tell me about your day.” She said sweetly, pulling Klaus out of his thoughts. He just shrugged.

“I didn't do much today, I've been spending the week with my brother.”

Caroline's face lit up.

“Your brother is here? That's nice! Is he enjoying New York?”

Klaus chuckled at her enthusiasm.

“I wish, he's been working a lot. He's not on vacation. He can't get fired for not showing up because he's his own boss. The only one above him is our father.”

“So Elijah works for your dad?”

“Yes. Mikael... um, my father... he owns one of the biggest law firm in the U.K. Elijah will probably take over after him.”

“You know, I noticed you never talk about your family.”

Klaus frowned and Caroline regretted saying that.

“I didn't exactly have a happy childhood.” He said while turning his face. He didn't want Caroline to see him so vulnerable, but it was too late. Caroline saw the pain in his eyes before he could put a mask on. She placed her hand on his arm and coaxed him to look at her.

“You don't have to talk about it if you don't want, but just to be clear, I'm always willing to listen to you.” She said with a sweet smile. Klaus couldn't help but smile back.

“My father ruined many moments of my life, I won't let him ruin this one too.” He said before wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer and kiss her.

Caroline was surprised at first, but she quickly kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck. They kissed slow and passionately. After a moment Klaus slid his hands up and down her back to press her more against his chest while Caroline ran her hands through his hair.

He moved to press her against the kitchen counter and she hopped on it. He stood between her thighs while his lips placed hot open mouthed kisses on her neck. Caroline closed her eyes and tilted back her head while a little moan and Klaus felt like he was being possessed. For years he avoided people, he avoided touching someone else and letting himself being touched. He avoided human contact, but now, with Caroline, he felt he had no control over his hands. He wanted to feel her, touch her, taste her. He just hoped she wouldn't notice the scars on his body...

Klaus suddenly stopped and stepped back. He had his eyes open widely as he felt himself start to panic. Caroline frowned and jumped from the counter.

“What's wrong?” She asked, failing when she tried to hide her disappointment. Klaus took a deep breath. She would see his scars at some point, but he just wasn't ready.

“I... The food is getting cold.” He said and then groaned. “That sounded stupid. I'm sorry.” Caroline chuckled and shook her head.

“It's fine. In fact, I think I shouldn't be rushing things. I promised myself I would take things slow and heal before... you know...” She said while her cheeks blushed.

“I can respect that.” Klaus said truthfully before tilting his head in curiosity. “What do you mean with “heal”?” He frowned when he saw Caroline bit her lower lip nervously. She looked down and played with her fingers.

“My last boyfriend cheated on me.” She said softly.

Klaus saw red. Who would be so stupid to pick another woman over Caroline freaking Forbes? She looked so sad, he didn't like it. His anger was replaced by sympathy. He took her chin between his index finger and his thump, making her look up at him.

“I would never do that to you, love.” He whispered. “He's obviously blind if he didn't see how amazing you are.” And with that, he kissed her sweetly. Caroline smiled against his lips and then sighed happily.

“Thanks.”

 

**Caroline's POV**

 

“Once again Miss Forbes, thank you for your time. I'm glad we'll be working with you.” Mr. Tanner said while shaking Caroline's hand.

“It's an honor, Mr. Tanner.” She said with her best smile. Alaric offered to walk Tanner out of the office and he gave Caroline a big smile on their way out. Caroline waited for a few seconds to make sure Tanner and Alaric were gone before she squealed in joy and started jumping.

“You got the account!” Elena said while bouncing with her.

“I got the account! I can't believe it, I got the account!” They cheered.

“This deserves a celebration! I'm gonna go out and get a box of macaroons and we're gonna eat until we pig out!” Elena said and skipped out the door. Caroline laughed and took a deep breath. This was the first time she got an account after proposing her own idea. She had been nervous but it had been worth it. She looked around the meeting office and her eyes landed on the storyboard Klaus made for her. She smiled warmly while thinking she couldn't wait to celebrate the good news with Klaus.

There was a knock on the door followed by Jenna poking her head in.

“I heard the good news, congrats!” She opened the door widely with one hand while with the other she held her big belly. “You know Alaric and I are looking for someone to take over. You keep that good work and maybe you can be our next Head Creative Writer.” Jenna added with a wink. That was Caroline's biggest dream, to be the one coming up with the ideas, the one leading the group to built campaigns and projects and work with the Art director. That was Jenna's position, but since Alaric and her were expecting, she wanted to focus on motherhood while Alaric looked for another Art director to take over some of the accounts so he could have more free time. Just the thought of having a chance made Caroline smile with excitement.

“Thanks Jenna. I would love that.”

 

**At the Hudson Hotel**

 

Elijah walked into the lobby after walking Klaus to the art gallery and stopping at a coffee shop for breakfast. He stopped at the counter to get his keys and waited while the girl behind it typed on the computer. She slid a card key on the counter with a smile. Elijah thanked him and stepped back before he looked at the card.

“Excuse me...” Elijah said stepping closer to the counter again. “You gave me the wrong key. My room is the number 214, this is 105.”

The girl frowned and took the key again.

“You said your last name is Mikaelson, right?” She asked while typing on the computer again. Elijah nodded and watched her hand him another card key. “My apologies, sir. I'm new here, and we have another guest under that name.” She explained.

“What?” Elijah said confused. “Another Mikaelson?” It couldn't be. “Oh god.. Niklaus!” He rushed out of the hotel, not caring about the card key or the girl behind the counter. Mikael was there.

 

**Klaus' POV**

 

Klaus smiled when he saw Caroline's name on the screen and read the message right away.

“I got the account! I couldn't have done it without your help!” the text said. Klaus smiled proudly of her and texted back.

“Congratulations sweetheart! I barely help. We should celebrate soon.”

He put down his cell phone and went back to his sketch. The Waltz number 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich played in the stereo while he worked and because of it, Klaus didn't hear the door open and the steps on the staircase. The music suddenly stopped and Klaus turned to the stereo.

His heart stopped when he who had stopped the stereo.

“Hello, boy.” Mikael said.


	8. Chapter 8

**Caroline's POV**

 

Caroline looked at the text message once again.

“Congratulations sweetheart! I barely helped. We should celebrate soon.”

She couldn't help but smile. She wanted to thank him for helping her with the storyboard she used during the meeting, but deep down she knew that was just an excuse to see him. It all happened so fast, she didn't know when her heart stopped aching for Tyler's betray and started to care about Klaus. It was scary how fast she found herself being attracted to this man she just met. There was something about him that made her feel safe. The way he connected to his feelings in his art, the way he looked at her like she was the only girl in the world. It terrified her to think she was falling too fast and too soon for a man she barely knew, specially after everything that happened with Tyler. She knew she had to be careful.

So Caroline finally decided she would take her time to get to know him better before really committing to him. She was glad he had stopped their heated make up session in her kitchen, even though there was a little part of her that felt rejected.

Didn't he like her? Didn't he want her? Maybe he enjoyed her but didn't find her attractive... or maybe he was just as scared as she was. She sighed, knowing she had to stop thinking like that. She shouldn't be stressing over her relationship with Klaus. They weren't even together.

“Oh but how I wish we were...” A little voice in her head said.

“UGH!” Elena groaned in pain and rubbed her stomach, pulling Caroline out of her thoughts.

“I told you not to eat so many macaroons.” Caroline said.

“It's not my fault they're so good.”

“I know but did you really have to buy like 30 of them?”

Elena smiled.

“You could always take the ones left with you and eat them with Klaus.”

Now that was a good idea, and Caroline tilted her head while thinking about it it.

“The cute one is here!” Katherine announced while stepping into the office, which made Elena roll her eyes. “So, you ready?” She asked to her sister. Elena nodded and picked up her bag. Elena hated driving in New York, while Katherine couldn't picture herself without a fancy car, so everyday after work, Katherine would pick Elena up and take her home. Katherine turned to Caroline, her curvy hair bouncing with each step. Caroline sometimes couldn't help but feel a little jealous of how good looking her friends were. “You need a lift, blondie?” She offered.

“I'm fine.” Caroline said with her usual sweet smile.

“Actually, Caroline is celebrating that she got an account today, soooooo...” Elena said while taking Caroline by her arm with one hand and the box with macaroons with the other. “We're dropping her by Klaus' art gallery.”

Caroline scoffed.

“Right, you only want to take me there because you want to see Stefan and you know he might be there.” She accused. Katherine looked at both of them and pouted.

“How come I'm the only single one?”

 

**Klaus' POV**

 

“Beware! Mikael is here!”

Klaus read the text message sent by Elijah and then looked up to Mikael, who stood near the staircase. Klaus thought with irony how he got the message too late, even just for a few minutes.

“Father...” Klaus started and he couldn't help but notice Mikael flinch at the word. “I was wondering when you'll appear, Elijah said-”

“Elijah is an idiot.” Mikael suddenly interrupted. “Dropping everything back at home to come see you. I know he came to tell you I was on my way.” Klaus narrowed his eyes. Mikael could insult him all he wanted, but Elijah was innocent and he hadn't done anything wrong. “I'll make this visit short. When you left England I thought I got rid of you for good. I guess I was wrong.” Mikael started while walking around the studio and looking at the painted canvas. Klaus took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. He knew there was no lost love between them, but did Mikael really wanted to get rid of him? His own son?

“I never knew why you hated me so much.” Klaus mumbled, which made Mikael turn to him with disgust.

“That's because you don't know half of it, boy. And I would have liked to keep it that way, but you're old enough to know how ashamed I am of you. You're not my son.”

“It must feel nice to finally deny me, you never loved me as a son.” Klaus scoffed.

“You don't get it. Your mother had an affair years ago and she was stupid enough to think I wouldn't find out.”

Klaus froze, stood rooted to the floor.

“What?” He barely managed to mumble.

“You're not my son.” Mikael repeated. “Just a bastard conceived from your mother's indiscretions.” Suddenly everything made sense. At least in a way. Mikael could never love him as a son, because he wasn't his. Klaus was a daily reminder of Ester's infidelity. Mikael took a paper from his pocket and held it so Klaus would see it. It was one of those articles about his exhibition, like the one Elijah got from his office. “I really thought I could leave you for dead, but then I found out you've been using this family's name to sell your art. MY name!” He roared and Klaus did his best to not move, to not flinch. Mikael walked towards him with his index finger raised in a threatening manner. So many horrible memories of Mikael being angry at him came rushing back. “Your existence embarrasses me everyday! And now you try to make fame out of my name!”

“I'm trying to earn a living.” Klaus snapped before he could stop himself, something Mikael wasn't used to and of course didn't like. Klaus even expected to get punched for speaking, but Mikael only laughed bitterly.

“Earn a living? By selling these?” He extended his arms around him, as in pointing out Klaus' paintings. “You're embarrassing and I will not let you put this family in shame. You want to sell your stupid paintings? Fine. But you're not a Mikaelson anymore.” Mikael hissed before walking away.

Klaus stood there while Mikael approached to the staircase. All those years, all that pain. He wouldn't let Mikael get away with it.

“It's my name too.” He said, causing Mikael to stop and turn to him. “I always hated it, because it meant I was related to you. But it's my name and my siblings' name too. And since you're not my father, you can't tell me what to do.” He continued with a hint of a smirk on his face.

“You're defying me, boy?” Mikael said with a threatening tone. “You're nothing but a bastard, I could end you any time I want.” He finished. Klaus smirked.

“You wouldn't have to deal with me now if you knew how to keep your own wife satisfied.”

 

“Bloody door!” Elijah growled as he tried to open the door. It was locked from the inside and he had a bad feeling about who could have done that.

“Elijah?” A voice called from behind. Elijah turned and sighed with relief when he saw Stefan there. “What are you doing here? Where's Klaus?” Elijah didn't bother to reply.

“Stefan! Thank God you're here, you MUST open this door, right now!” He said pointing at the goddamn door. “I believe my father is in there with Niklaus and I cannot allow that!”

Stefan opened his eyes widely. Klaus told him once or twice what a horrible father Mikael was to him while growing up. Not wanting to waste any more time, he pulled out the keys.

The moment Stefan opened the door, Elijah rushed upstairs to the studio.

Elijah watched Mikael throw punches at Klaus many times, but he had never seen Klaus hit back. And not only he was fighting back. He was winning. Maybe it was the age, or the fact that he never expected Klaus to punch him, but Mikael's fist was slow and easy to avoid. Meanwhile Klaus wasn't the fragile little boy he used to be.

Stefan made it to the second floor right in time to see Klaus' fist connect with Mikael's jaw. Mikael stumbled back and hit some bookshelves, giving Elijah and Stefan enough time to stop them.

“Father!” Elijah yelled while holding Mikael back and stopping him from throwing another punch to Klaus. “Stop this nonsense now! I'm here now and two against one aren't good odds for you.”

“Three against one, actually.” Stefan said, keeping a hand on Klaus' chest to stop him from lunging at Mikael.

Mikael turned his head and spit blood before looking at Elijah.

“You choose him before your own blood?” He asked, which made Elijah frown.

“You're both my blood.” He said a little confused. Mikael just smirked, showing his teeth looking red, and then just walked out.

“What was all that about?” Stefan said. They turned to look at Klaus who was breathing heavily.

“I'm not his son... He just told me I'm a bastard.” Klaus said, still clenching his fists. Stefan thought for a moment that Elijah's brain had melted, because he just stopped functioning.

“Niklaus... I had no idea...” Elijah said softly after a moment.

“We're gonna need the aid kit, you have some cuts and...” Stefan started but stopped when he saw Klaus turn away and his breath before agitated. “Klaus?...”

“I.. I can't breath.” Klaus said clenching his chest. Elijah quickly stepped closer to help him, but Klaus pushed him away. “Don't touch me. DON'T TOUCH ME!”

Stefan grabbed Elijah by his arm and pulled him away.

“What's going on?” Elijah asked. Stefan sighed sadly.

“He's having a panic attack.”

“How do we help him?”

“We can't. He deals with it on his own. He'll come to us when he's ready.” Stefan explained.

 

The two men walked downstairs while Klaus tried to calm down.

Mikael showing up, telling him that he wasn't his son, Elijah jumping into the fight to protect the man he considered his brother. It was all too much. He tried to hold onto a wall when his head got all fuzzy and thought he would pass out. But then he quickly stepped away from it, when he started to imagine the walls getting closer and closer. He stumbled to the window and opened, trying to stop the feeling of being trapped.

He felt like his shirt had turned into a strength jacket. It felt like it was crushing his chest. He wanted to tear it open, even knowing it wouldn't do much good.

He felt like he was drowning.

And it was painful.

 

**Caroline's POV**

 

“Tell me where...” Katherine said while sitting behind the wheel.

“There! Over there! That's Klaus' gallery.” Caroline pointed out with her finger.

“I see Stefan's car.” Elena commented from the passenger seat. Katherine looked at Caroline through the review mirror and they shared a knowing look.

“I'm assuming you want to come in too?” Caroline asked in a teasing tone. Elena smiled and nodded.

“Just to say hi, yeah...”

Katherine parked the car and decided to join them, besides she had never seen what kind of art Klaus did and she was curious.

Their good moods and smiles dropped when once inside they saw the worried look on Stefan's face.

“What's wrong?” Elena asked while walking to him.

“It's Klaus. He's not doing well... You girls shouldn't be here.” Stefan said.

“What? What happened to him? Where is he?” Caroline demanded. Elijah looked at her curiously. Stefan looked at him apologetically before introducing them all.

“Elijah, these are Caroline, Elena and her sister Katherine.” He said pointing each one of the girls.

“Elijah?... as in Klaus' brother?” Caroline asked. Elijah smiled a little, glad to know Klaus had mentioned him.

Before Elijah could reply, they all heard Klaus scream. It was bloodcurdling and filled with pain. Caroline didn't even stop to think before running towards the stairs and go upstairs.

“Caroline, wait!” Stefan called.

“Don't bother.” Katherine said. “Caroline doesn't stop when she knows someone she cares is in trouble.”


	9. Chapter 9

** **A/N: Whenever I reply to a review I do it privately, but I'll reply one here just to clarify something.** **

** **RubyRav3n: Thanks for your review, but no, I do not suffer of anxiety attacks like Klaus does. I can be a little anxious sometimes, but I never went through the whole panic attack. The reason why I described it the way I did is because I've read about it, I've seen it on TV shows and movies. However your review made my happy because it meant my writing was realistic enough, and that's good.** **

* * *

Caroline rushed upstairs to Klaus' studio.

That painful scream she heard while she was downstairs with the other still rang clearly in her ears.

She pushed the door open and found Klaus sitting on the floor between his couch and his easel, with his head down and his arms around his knees. His Henley laid on the floor all torn and Caroline would have taken her time to admire his torso if she hadn't been so worried.

“ Klaus...” Caroline called out softly while stepping closer.

Klaus snapped his head to look at her and Caroline saw the fear in his eyes. He was breathing heavily, panting noisily. His knuckles were red, he had bruises on his face, little cuts on an eyebrow and his lower lip. Caroline knew right away he had been in a fight.

“ C-Caroline?” Caroline took another step but stopped when Klaus shook his head. “Don't!”

Caroline frowned and stepped back.

“ Why are you hurt? What's happening?” She said, clearly scared. Klaus took another few breaths.

“ P-Panic-A-Att-” He panted. “C-an't b-brea-th.”

Caroline stood there for a few seconds.

“ What can I do to help?” She whispered.

“ L-Leave.” Klaus replied shakily while looking away. He hated himself for looking so vulnerable in front of her. He had been trying so hard to keep calm around her ever since he found out that Mikael was on his way. Once again Mikael had ruined the one good thing in Klaus' life.

But Caroline didn't move from her spot, she just shook her head with a confident look.

“ I don't abandon the people I care about.” She said before kneeling in front of him and stretching her hand slowly. “I'm not going to hurt you, I promise.”

But Klaus turned his head and closed his eyes. This was only making him feel worse. The idea of Caroline seeing him like this terrified him, just as much as the idea of losing his chance with her.

“ Y-You shouldn't be-e he-ere.” He said between breaths. “I-I'm a mess. I-I don't want y-you to se-ee me-e like this..” Caroline had to leave, he was sure of it. Whenever someone tried to help him during an attack it ended badly. Even the smallest touch could trigger a bad reaction.

So when Caroline cupped his cheek and Klaus didn't react badly, but instead found it comforting, he was very surprised. Caroline managed to turn his face so he would look at her.

“ You should see how I look in the morning.” She said, trying to light the mood.

Any other time, Klaus would actually imagine waking up next to her, even if that's not what she meant.

“ You said you can't breathe. Let me help you.” She added softly. Klaus looked at her closely for a moment and then nodded. “Turn around.” Caroline tugged his arm gently and made him turn while she let herself fall back and sit on her ass. She leaned her back against the couch and pulled Klaus against her. Klaus found himself lying back on Caroline's chest. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her hands on his chest. “Do you feel my chest rise and fall with each breath?” She asked. “Breathe in...” She breathed in. “And breathe out.” And she exhaled. “Close your eyes and focus on it. Feel it.” She said softly against his ear while he rested his head on her shoulder.

Klaus did what he was told. He closed his eyes and focused on her breathing. Whenever her chest moved, his chest moved too. Although he still felt like he couldn't breathe, he knew he was feeling calmer.

“ Ke-ep ta-alking.” He said while one of his hands moved to rest on top of hers and pressed it against his chest. It took Caroline a moment to find her voice. She always had something to say and always talked too much, and suddenly when he needed her to talk, she was speechless.

“ I don't know what to say. What should I talk about?”

“ Anything. Y-Your voice. It c-calms me down.”

Klaus wasn't getting better and Caroline took it as her responsibility. If he wanted to hear her voice, she was sure as hell he'll get what he wanted.

“ Don't laugh, okay?” She whispered before clearing her throat and taking a breath.

“ Baby mine, don't you cry

Baby mine, dry your eyes

Rest your head close to my heart

Never to part, baby of mine

 

Little one when you play

Don't you mind what they say

Let those eyes sparkle and shine

Never a tear, baby of mine...”

 

Caroline moved her free hand to stroke Klaus' hair and heard him sigh with content.

 

“ If they knew sweet little you

They'd end up loving you too

All those same people who scold you

What they'd give just for

The right to hold you

 

From your head to your toes

You're so sweet, goodness knows

You are so precious to me

Sweet as can be, baby of mine...”

 

Klaus' breath slowed down and was a lot more even by the time she finished the song. His hand stopped squeezing hers against his chest in the middle of the song, and instead it started to caress her arm up and down slowly while Caroline's thump stroked his chest.

“ Thank you.” Klaus whispered after a moment of silence. His eyes shot open when he felt a drop fall on his shoulder. He turned to see Caroline wiping away some tears.

She chewed her lower lip, embarrassed that one tear slipped and gave her away. Klaus frowned and took her hand.

“ I'm so sorry sweetheart, I didn't mean to scare you.” He said looking down.

“ It's not that.” She mumbled and then chuckled nervously. “That song always makes me cry... I blame Disney and their ridiculously sad movies.” She said.

Klaus smiled softly and knelt on the floor, turning so he could see her.

“ If it's any consolation, I still get really sad when I watch “The fox and the hound”.” He said and to his surprise Caroline didn't laugh at him. She smiled sweetly before reaching out to touch his cheek.

“ You have bruises all over.. and dry blood...” She said, her smile changing to a frown. Klaus sighed and rubbed his neck.

“ I had a fight with my fa-.. with Mikael.” He corrected himself.

“ Well, you need to get those cuts taken care of. So I'll go get an aid kit and then we can talk about it. If you want, of course.” Once Klaus nodded his head, she got up and walked out the studio.

Running a hand down his chest, Klaus breathed in and out with relief. The pain was gone and he would be okay.

...He couldn't say the same about his shirt, though.

 

Caroline reached the end of the stairs and found Elijah and Katherine staring at her curiously.

“ How's Niklaus doing?” Elijah asked.

“ He's okay now. Well, he's calm at least. I'm gonna check the kitchen and the bathroom for an aid kit, he has some cuts to take care of.” Caroline explained. “Where are the others?”

“ Elena had stomach ache so Stefan offered to drive her home. I stayed, in case you still needed a ride.” Katherine replied.

“ Thanks, but I think I'm gonna stay here a little while. You can get going.”

Katherine frowned and crossed her arms on her chest.

“ Excuse me? I'm supposed to let you walk home or take the subway? The sun will be down soon and you're crazy if you think I'll let you walk alone at night in New York!”

“ I don't want you to wait, but I don't want to leave Klaus yet either.” Caroline explained with big puppy dog eyes. Katherine sighed and handed her the car keys.

“ You drive home, I'll take a cab. You can pick us up tomorrow.”

Caroline took the keys and smiled.

“ You're trusting me with your car? Thanks!” She giggled. Katherine rolled her eyes and tried to look annoyed but a little smile formed in her face.

“ That's very nice of you.” Elijah commented while looking at Katherine. “I'm actually on my way out, I should look for my father, so if you want I could drive you home.” He offered, surprising both girls.

Katherine smirked and nodded after a moment.

“ I would appreciate that.”

Elijah smiled and turned to Caroline.

“ Tell Niklaus I'll be back soon... And that I'm really sorry about everything.” He said. Caroline didn't know what he was talking about but she promised she would tell Klaus anyway.

After they said good bye, Caroline stared at the door that Katherine and Elijah had just walked by. Katherine had a smirk and a look on her face that Caroline knew very well.

“ Oh poor Elijah...” She mumbled and giggled. “He doesn't know what he's getting himself into.”

 

 

When Caroline walked into the studio, she found Klaus sitting on the couch with what was left of his shirt in his hands.

“ How did that happen?” She asked while sitting next to him.

“ I don't know. I just tore it apart. I felt like it was chocking me.” He said lowly.

“ Oh...” Caroline put a bag of ice on his cheek carefully. “Hold it there.” She said and Klaus did that while she cleaned his cuts with a little ball of cotton and alcohol.

Klaus sat without moving, letting her take care of him. He watched her closely while she did and after a moment she noticed.

“ What?” She asked nervously.

“ You're beautiful.” He said and noticed her blush right away. “You're also a wonderful nurse.” He teased, which made her laugh.

Caroline then started to take care of the bruises on his knuckles.

“ It looks like he got a few punches too..” She observed in a hushed tone. “Wanna talk about it?”

Klaus took a breath and squeezed the hand that Caroline used to hold his while the other cleaning the bruises.

“Mikael always hated me. I never knew why, but he never treated me like a son. He beat me up, yelled at me... even starved me for days one time.” Klaus explained as he remembered those dark times. Caroline looked at him astonished. How could he do that to his own kid? She couldn't understand. It wasn't fair, Klaus didn't deserve that. “Today he came and finally told me why he hated me so much.” Klaus looked at her closely, afraid of her reaction. He was still trying to absorb the news, he didn't know how to feel or what to think yet. “Turns out he's not my father. I'm a bastard... I always had the feeling I didn't belong at my own house. Now I know I really didn't.”

Caroline cupped his cheeks and made him look at her.

“ It doesn't matter that you're not his blood, he shouldn't have done any of that to you! It wasn't your fault! And your siblings, your mom, they're still your family, so don't you even think for one second that you're any less than them!” She said in a low, angry voice. Klaus had never seen her like that. Did he really mean that much to her? That thought made him feel better. She then closed her eyes and took a breath. When she opened her eyes again, she smiled and her voice came out softly. “And you're still my snowflake.”

Klaus looked at Caroline with his mouth hanging open. He told her he was a bastard, she had seen him having a panic attack. One moment he was trying to push her away and the next he was seeking for comfort in her arms. He was a freak, he was broken beyond repair. And still she called him her snowflake. He might be a bastard, but he was a lucky one!

“ Oh Caroline...” He caressed her cheek and leaned to kiss her lips. She kissed him back eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer. Klaus held her like his life depended on it. In a way it sort of did. He felt like drowning that day, and she had saved him. She was the life jacket that kept him afloat. She was the light in his very dark life.

She was, after all, his snowflake.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains smut.

While standing behind the door open ajar, Elijah watched the young blonde woman hold his brother against her chest. He had no words to describe the calm that came to him when he saw Klaus relaxing on her. And the way she sang to him softly was heartwarming. She must have been an angel sent by the heavens to help and love his brother. That was exactly what Klaus needed. He decided not to interrupt the intimate moment between them, wanting Klaus to soak in the feeling of being protected and safe, the feeling of having someone taking care of him so lovingly.

  
Elijah knew right away he liked Caroline. She was exactly what Klaus needed, exactly the person who would heal his wounds and fix him up.

  
But as he looked out the window from his seat he knew that wouldn't be enough. Someone had to teach Mikael on a lesson. That's why Elijah was on his way to England. Even though he didn't want to leave his brother, Mikael was on his way home, where Elijah had two younger siblings and it was his responsibility to protect them. At this point he didn't know what else Mikael was capable of. He never hit Rebekah or Kol, but Elijah didn't want to take any risks. Besides he needed to fight Mikael, he NEEDED to make things right, to bring him down. Then, and only then, Klaus would be in peace.

  
He just wished he could do it quickly, since there was a pretty brunette he couldn't get out of his head. Then again he was a little relived he could take a break. Two weeks of rabid sex with Katherine left him exhausted, not to mention he was certain that the last time he actually hurt his back.

 

**Klaus' POV**

 

"The ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner played loudly in Klaus' studio while he painted furiously. The last two weeks he had poured ever single feeling, ever bad memory, every ache from his cuts and bruises in his paintings. And this painting wasn't an exception. It came out looking pretty dark, like many others. But there were a few paintings and drawing that were completely different and he had Caroline to thank to. Since his last panic attack, their relationship grew more and more. He took her out for dinner most of the nights, except a couple of times when she suggested cooking or ordering take out so they could stay in and watch a movie. She would tell him about her day at the agency and how badly she wanted to get promoted. He would tell her about his paintings and answer her questions. She was a very curious person and he could tell she was trying to get to know him the best she could. But she never asked about his family, especially about Mikael. She would only ask about his siblings whenever he told a story about them.

  
So whenever he came home after dinner with her, or when he was at his studio after she stopped by to spend her lunch time with him, he would be calm and relaxed.

  
Today wasn't like that. She was still at the office, Marcel was away rehearsing, Stefan was away because he and Damon got invited to their cousin's wedding… in Italy… and Elijah left that morning. So he was alone and for some reason that bothered him. Any other time he would rather be alone, he enjoyed painting in silence, he avoided people, but now he felt like there was something missing and couldn't put his finger on what exactly.

  
He took the feeling of loneliness, added the hurt and the anger from Mikael's words and poured them on the canvas. Before he knew he had an abstract master piece.

"KLAUS!" He heard Caroline call before hearing her fast steps on the staircase. He wiped his hands with a wet cloth and turned the stereo off. "I GOT IT!" She announced while pushing the door open and rushing towards him. "I got the raise! I'm the new Head Creative writer!" She said before jumping in his arms.

Klaus smiled widely and hugged her tight.

"Those are great news, congratulations sweetheart." When she stepped back, he cupped her face in his hands. "I'm so proud of you, Caroline."  
Caroline smiled and blushed.

"Thank you! Oh I'm so excited! I still have to call my mom but she's working now so I thought I could share the news with you." She giggled.

"I'm glad. This deserves some celebration, don't you think?" He said and Caroline nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! Well, everyone at the agency agreed that we'll be having drinks tomorrow, but I thought you and I could have dinner tonight. What do you say?"  
Klaus smiled.

"That sounds great, but instead of going out tonight, I'm cooking." He said which made Caroline look at him with wide eyes.

"Really? You wanna cook?"

"You say it like it's a bad thing, love." Klaus chuckled. "Don't judge my culinary skills until you've tried them." He said proudly. "It could be our Friday tradition." He then suggested with a shrug. Caroline giggled and nodded her head.

"It's a date then."

 

**Caroline's POV**

 

Caroline looked at herself in the mirror after her shower. Usually at this time she would be tired and wanting to do nothing but watch a movie in her couch –which she had been doing a lot with Klaus lately- and go to bed. But the excitement over her promotion and her date with Klaus kept her wide awake. The music playing in her phone stopped to let her know she had a message.

"Hey! Are you celebrating tonight? Katherine is in a weird mood and I'm bored." The text message said, and it was from Elena. Caroline replied back.

"I am. Klaus is cooking for me "

One minute later her phone went off. This time Elena was calling.

"He's cooking for you?!" She said, skipping the "hello" part.

"Yeah, he offered, why?" Caroline said confused.

"Oooooh he reeeeeally likes you!"

Both girls laughed.

"I guess so. That's a really nice thing to do." Caroline commented.

"And you like him too, right?" Elena asked curiously.

"You know I do." Caroline replied while frowning. "Haven't you been complaining that all I do lately is talk about him?"

"Yeah, when you're not talking about work… sooooo… you think tonight is THE night?" Elena asked with a curiosity filling her voice. Caroline swallowed loudly and bit her lower lip.

"I don't know…"

The other side of the line stayed in silence for a few seconds.

"Well, do you want it to be?" Elena finally asked.

"I'm not sure. I mean, yeah he's hot! Super hot! And he's also so sweet!" Caroline sighed. "But after Tyler…"

"Care, you have to move on." Elena interrupted. "I know it's hard but let's think about it. You can never be completely sure, you have to trust your instincts, right? And what are your instincts telling you about Klaus?"

Caroline thought for a moment.

"It tells me that Klaus nothing like any man I ever met. He's unique…"

Like a snowflake. She couldn't help but think to herself.

"And he needs someone just as unique as himself to understand him." She finished.

"Well, that someone can be you. You're caring and loyal, you would never hurt him. And I'm sure he appreciates you too much to hurt you. I mean… when was the last time Tyler cooked for you?"

Caroline thought about it for a moment.

"He never did actually… but come on 'Lena, not everyone express their feelings in the same way, besides Tyler couldn't cook."

"Alright, when was the last time he sent you flowers?"

"Um…" Caroline made a face, even though Elena couldn't see her. "After we broke up…"

"Exactly. AFTER you caught him cheating. You couldn't predict that would happen, just like you can't predict if Klaus will be the same. You just gotta trust your instincts. Besides, aren't you the one that said "Boy likes girl, girl likes boy. Sex."?" Caroline laughed, she knew those words would come back to bite her in the ass. "If you decide you're not ready, that's okay. And if he can't understand that, then he's a pig and doesn't deserve you. But if both of you want this, then enjoy it. I just think you've been a lot happier since you met him." There was a weird noise. "Kat?.. what?..."

"Blondie, listen to me." Katherine said and Caroline realized she probably took the phone from Elena. "Men are idiots, most of the time they're like toddlers, waiting for mommy or some other woman to clean up their messes. They never know what they want and they can't take a hint." Katherine said in a poisonous tone. "We're all domed to be hurt once or twice. You have three options here. One, you can break their hearts before they break yours. Two, you can at least enjoy the ride and have fun while it lasts. Or three, be a love sick fool and give up whenever you get hurt. But something tells me option three won't suit you well."

Katherine was right. Caroline had always been little girly Caroline, but she wanted to be strong, she knew she could.

"Tyler cheated and look at you now, you're still alive, it wasn't the end of the world. So I suggest you to stop whining, put your big girl's pants and get back to the rodeo." Katherine finished and gave the phone back to Elena.

"Yikes… That was harsh."

"Classic Katherine." Caroline said.

"I'm not so sure Care, she's been weird all day." Elena commented. "Today I told her I was missing Stefan while we were having breakfast and she didn't say anything. I was expecting her to make a comment. You know how she is… But she just stopped eating, got up and locked herself in her room."

"Weird… Okay, tomorrow we're going out for drinks and we'll get her to talk. Now I have to go get ready for my date."

"One more question. Did you shave your legs?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, why?"

Elena laughed.

"Oh you're so having sex tonight! I want all the details tomorrow!"

Caroline laughed but moments after the phone call she actually thought about it. She walked to her dresser and went through her underwear. She needed something special that would make her look good… just in case…

 

**Klaus' POV**

 

The lamb looked good, still red and juicy while it cooked in the oven. The veggies were on the stove, almost ready. The wine was getting cold in the fridge. The table was set nicely. The apartment looked clean, which wasn't unusual since Caroline had been there before.

Everything was perfect, the one thing missing was his date, but only for a few minutes. He knew Caroline was very punctual and since they agreed she would arrive at 8 o'clock, he still had ten minutes.

Klaus was going through his iTunes list for romantic songs when his phone went off.

"Hello mate." He greeted. "How's the old continent treating you?"

"It's alright." Stefan said. "But I swear if I have to hear one more aunt asking me why I'm not married yet, I'm gonna kill somebody."

Klaus laughed.

"That's what aunts are for. I'm sure Damon is having it worse since he's older."

Klaus couldn't see, but Stefan was rolling his eyes.

"He's getting too much attention from the bride's maids to notice."

"And you're not?" Klaus asked in a teasing tone.

"Uh… no… I mean, you know how Damon is… He hits on everything that breathes…"

"I'm sure girls notice you as well." Klaus said making Stefan laugh.

"Why thank you Klaus, but you and I won't ever be more than friends!"

Klaus scoffed.

"Oh bite me Salvatore. I'm just saying you're not getting any because you don't want to. You already have someone in your mind, don't you?" He asked and Stefan could tell he was smirking.

"This is not why I called you." Stefan said with a sigh.

"You're changing the subject…."

"Doesn't matter. I'm calling you to let you know, as your manager, that you have a potential client. He's name is Mason Lockwood and his family owns a Hotel chain. They're opening a new hotel soon and Mason wants to put your paintings in it."

Klaus was astonished.

"You better not be joking, Salvatore. Are you serious?"

"I'm serious. So you put together your best work because he'll be meeting you soon. I'll let you know when I get the details, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks a lot mate."

"No problem. I gotta go now, we're throwing my cousin his bachelor party."

"Don't do anything too scandalous. Who knows what Elena would think?" He teased, earning a groan from Stefan.

"You better be nicer to me or I'll tell Caroline about the time you got arrested for peeing on a church's wall." Stefan said. Klaus opened his eyes widely.

"You wouldn't!" The doorbell rang and Klaus panicked. "I have to go too. Caroline is here. And if you tell her about that time, I'll tell Elena the story about how your date stole all your clothes after sex in a public place and I had to bring you some pants." He threatened. Stefan gasped.

"We promised we would never talk about that! EVER!"

"Whatever mate, I have to open the door. Have fun in Italy!" He sang before hanging up and then opened the door. There stood Caroline with a big smile on her face.

"Hiiiii! I brought chocolate cake!" She said while lighting the box with the cake in it.

"Perfect, come on in." He said stepping aside. "You look lovely, by the way." He added before leaning to peck her lips. Her blue jeans and dark purple long sleeved shirt clutch to her body in the right places.

"Why thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

 

 

The dinner was very good and Klaus felt proud whenever Caroline made yummy noises or complimented him. The spoke about their day and Klaus filled her in with Stefan's news. It was nice to see her getting excited over his projects. All his life Mikael made him feel like his art wasn't good enough and he never got support from anyone except Stefan and Marcel. It was like Klaus happiness made her happy as well and that felt nice.

Once they were done, Klaus suggested her to pick a movie while he cut the cake and put them on plates. But instead of picking a movie, Caroline took a book. It was a collection of Edgar Allan Poe's works and one of Klaus' favorites.

"Would you read this one to me?" She said while handing him the book. Klaus was a little surprised by her request. She wanted him to read "The Raven". He always liked Poe for his style, it was dark but elegant. He didn't need to write violent scenes with loads of blood to make his readers' stomachs drop. But he didn't think Caroline would particularly enjoy it.

They sat on his couch and ate the cake before he took the book and started reading. Caroline snuggled against his side and rested her head on his shoulder while listening to him. He never felt so comfortable before, specially with someone so physically close to him.

"…And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting  
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;  
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,  
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;  
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor  
Shall be lifted — nevermore!"

He finished and Caroline looked up.

"That's a sad story… scary too, but mostly, sad." She commented.

"Yeah, he's mourning over the lost of his beloved." Klaus said while closing the book. "Why did you ask me to read this to you?"  
Caroline shrugged.

"You always talk about how much you like Poe and I was curious, besides I like the sound of your voice." She said nonchalantly, but Klaus could see her cheeks turning pink.

Klaus smiled softly and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"All my life I felt worthless. I believed I had no reason to exist and that I didn't belong anywhere. But then I met you… The things you say… You make me feel important. So I wanted to thank you for that."

Caroline smiled and leaned up to press her lips against his.

"You don't have to thank me. It's my pleasure to let you know how amazing you are." She said after their kiss, her lips still brushing against his. Klaus smiled some more and pulled her closer for another kiss. This time it was deeper and Klaus felt free to caress her tongue with his own. Caroline made a happy noise, like a little purr, when his tongue invaded her mouth.

Her hands moved up his chest to his neck while his arms traveled around her waist. He practically squeezed her against his chest to the point that she was straddling his lap, but it felt like she could never be close enough.

They kept kissing passionately, their hands running up and down each other's body frantically. He needed to touch her, to feel her smooth skin, so he slipped his hands underneath her shirt and up her back.

Caroline took back soon after that, just enough to take her shirt by the hem and pull it up. She dropped the piece of clothing on the floor and watched Klaus' reaction.

His lips were parted and his mouth suddenly felt dry, and that was the kind of reaction Caroline was hoping for. She wore a royal purple lacy bra that looked great on her white porcelain like skin. He leaned closer and placed hot open mouthed kisses on her collar bone and her chest, all around her bra. Caroline felt her need pooling between her legs. It was a delicious kind of pain. She rocked her hips, rubbing herself against his lips, which made him groan, a mixture between pleasure and the frustration of being still dressed.

Caroline let out a few moans and ran her hands through his hair. Klaus kissed his way up her neck to her mouth and she kissed him back eagerly.  
They broke the kiss when they were both breathless.

"Bedroom?" Caroline asked with a small smile. Klaus smirked and nodded.

"Absolutely."

She got up and walked to his bedroom while holding his hand. Once there she turned to him and quickly took his shirt off. He lifted his arms to make it easier. When the shirt was out of the way she caressed his chest and Klaus noticed she was looking at his tattoo and then…

"That must hurt…" She said softly while caressing one of his old scars on his chest with her fingertips. He looked down to her hand and the mark on his skin. It was product of Mikael's wrath many years ago, but he still remembered how much it hurt. Klaus was embarrassed, he didn't want her to see his scars.

"An ugly past leaves ugly marks." Klaus whispered.

Caroline shook her head and leaned to kiss the scar.

"You're beautiful." She said against his skin. Klaus chuckled bitterly and lifted her face.

"You're stealing my line, sweetheart." He then kissed her deeply.

They undressed each other on their way to the bed. Caroline laid on the bed with her bra and panties on. Klaus hovered her, climbing on the mattress between her legs.

"You look… ravishing." He said, a little bit lost at words. Caroline smiled, sliding down the straps of her bra. Klaus leaned and kissed her chest, his hand slid under her back to undo her bra. He wanted to tear it apart, but it was a nice set of lingerie, he thought he would like to see it again soon.

When her chest was finally exposed, he took one of her nipples in his mouth while a hand rubbed the other. Caroline's breath hitched and she closed her eyes. Her back arched on the mattress, lifting her chest towards him. She smelled divine, her skin was smooth and perfect, she felt warm under his touch. He knew he would never get tired of touching her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and rocked her hips against him once again. Even with her panties and his boxers, she could still feel the hard evidence of his desire.

Klaus moaned and pulled back from her chest. They looked at each other long and wanting.

"Klaus, I want you…" Caroline said low but sensually while her hands pushed down his boxers a little. Klaus quickly took a condom from the nightstand and put it on after finishing taking his boxers off. And then he took her panties off, slow and tenderly, letting his hands graze her thighs.

The sight of Caroline laying naked on his sheets was unbelievable, breathtaking. She looked pure an innocent, he even felt bad for corrupting that purity, but when he looked into her eyes, he saw the desire, he saw the lust and the needed.

Meanwhile Caroline took in his beautiful body. He was fit and handsome, the tattoos gave him that hint of bad boy she liked so much. She wanted to me touched by him, she wanted to be clay in his hands for him to create art. She wanted to get lost in his blue eyes, darkened by the lust.

Klaus leaned and kissed her fervently and she wrapped her legs around him again. That aching want she had between her legs grew when he started pushing inch by inch and when he was completely inside her they both moaned with relief.

Klaus moved slow and sensually at first but he soon picked up the pace. Caroline's moans got louder and longer. Her hands traveled up and down his back. He thought her moans were the most beautiful sound in the world, until she moaned his name.

"Klaus… oh Klaus…"

He was sure his name never sounded any better. It was when she reached her climax that his name came out in a scream. Her walls tightened around him, making him moan. Klaus pressed his head against the crock of her neck and thrusted his hips a few more times before reaching his own release.

"Oh wow…" Caroline whispered breathlessly while her hand caressed his hair lazily.

After a moment, Klaus rolled out of her, making her whimper in pleasure. He smirked and laid next to her. She quickly turned to snuggle against his side and he welcomed her with open arms.

"Today was the best day ever." Caroline said with a chuckle.

Indeed, it was.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know I was posting every two days and suddenly stopped, but I’m studying for final exams so I really didn’t have the time or strength to write. And I probably won’t for one more week. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Don’t forget to leave a comment!

“That guy looks cute.” Elena pointed out. Katherine barely looked at the guy.

“Mm…” She hummed, her fingers playing absently with the straw in her drink.

Elena and Caroline looked at each other. They all went at their usual bar to celebrate Caroline’s promotion, which was also a good excuse to have a girls night out, since Klaus was busy working in his collection and Stefan was away.

But Katherine wasn’t acting like her usual self.

“Okay, I’m done.” Caroline said. “What’s gotten into you?”

Katherine arched an eyebrow.

“Excuse me?”

“What Caroline is trying to say is that you have been acting weird lately and we’re worried.” Elena said. Caroline hated when Elena corrected her or decided what she was trying to say or not, but it wasn’t a right time to pick up a fight over something so silly.

Katherine just shrugged.

“I’m just… in a mood.” She said.

“I know you’re not in your period, because we’re kinda synchronized there.” Elena said.

“Ewwww I didn’t need to know that.” Caroline mumbled but Elena ignored it.

“So tell us what keeps you in this “mood”.”

Katherine looked down and then at Caroline. This would be a confession that could have a negative impact on her friend.

“I slept with Elijah.” She said softly.

“What?” Both girls said at the same time. Katherine just groaned and rolled her eyes.

“We fooled around for a couple of weeks until he left. That’s all.”

Elena pursed her lips and shrugged.

“Well… he’s handsome. I don’t see the problem with that.” She then turned to Caroline. “Is that okay with you?”

Caroline made a face, but then she realized since she was dating Klaus this could be some sort of rule breaking situation in Katherine’s behalf.

“I’m fine with it, really.” She said smiling at Katherine. Yet the eldest twin still looked sad.

Katherine was a free spirit and she enjoyed her sexuality. Yes, some ignorant people called her a slut, but she was a beautiful confident woman who was very proud of her body and enjoyed sex, so the news of her sleeping with a man wasn’t exactly shocking. She never apologized or regretted her decisions, so why start now?

After a moment Elena gasped.

“Oh god… you actually like him.”

Katherine looked at her through her lashes and then looked away, defeated.

“Yeah, I did… I do. We agreed it would be a two weeks thing and then he left. I wasn’t expecting to actually like him.”

The girls got up and walked around the table to hug her friend and sister.

“You’ll be okay, Kat.” Elena said. “You still have us.”

“Yeah! And if anyone is strong enough to move on, that’s you.” Caroline added.

“Thanks. Now, what do you say if we get drunk, uh?”

 

 

**From: Stefan**

**To: Klaus**

**Subject: Business**

 

Hello Klausy-boo! I wish I was there to see your face.

I spoke with Mason's secretary and they'll stop by the gallery next Wednesday. It's just so they can see your art, so don't worry if some pieces aren't finished or if you don't have so much to show, although I'm sure you do, considering your studio is filled with canvas. Perhaps you got a new muse? ;-)

Don't miss me too much, pokey! Call me if you need anything.

 

 

**From: Klaus**

**To: Stefan**

**Subject: Re: Business**

 

I know you think I have a handsome face, stop drooling. I'm gonna let it pass this time because I'm in a good mood. And yes, I do have a new muse. And no, I won't use those stupid winky faces like you do.

I'm picking my best work already. When will you be home? As my manager you must be here.

Send my regards to Damon.

 

 

**From: Stefan**

**To: Klaus**

**Subject: Re: Re: Business**

 

Me? Drooling? Pfffff never!

I take it that things with Caroline went well? You sounded pretty excited the other night. Here, have another winky face ;-)

I'm sorry Klaus, but my flight is next Saturday, I won't be there for the meeting. I'm sure you'll do great and you won't even need me there.

 

 

Klaus stared at the screen and felt himself starting to panic. He quickly took his phone and dialed Stefan's phone.

“Hello?” Stefan's voice sounded deep and sleepy.

“What the hell do you mean by your flight is next Saturday? You're my manager! You must be here!” Klaus roared.

“Oh I'm fine, thank you so much for asking.” Stefan mumbled annoyed, making Klaus roll his eyes. “I'm sorry Klaus but I don't visit my family in Italy all the time, so I'm staying extra time. Besides you don't need me.”

“But I'm the artist, I don't deal with people!” Klaus said and Stefan could tell he was terrified.

“Okay well, maybe Caroline can do it. She's in advertising, so she knows what to tell people to make them buy things, plus she's very charming.”

“Yeah she is...” Klaus whispered to himself. Stefan chose to ignore that.

“I think she can do this, and I think you can do this too.”

“Alright then, what about the pills?”

“The pills?”

“The ones you give me so I stay calm. I can't just break into your house and look for them!”

Stefan sighed and rubbed his face.

“Klaus... I have something to confess.” He started.

“This is it, isn't it? You're coming out of the closet!” Klaus joked.

“God no! Klaus! I'm serious. Just promise me you won't get mad.” And just by saying that, Klaus got mad already.

“What is it?”

“Those pills I gave you...” Stefan took a breath. “They were sugar pills.”

Klaus took a moment to process what he just heard.

“What?... but how is that possible?”

“I think the night of your exhibition and that time at the bar with Caroline's friends you were confident because you were sure of yourself, but you had it in you all along Klaus. It wasn't some pill.”

Klaus stood there with his phone against his ear.

“So... you lied to me?” He asked after a moment.

Stefan groaned.

“Oh god, do you really have to sound like someone kicked your puppy? I was just trying to help. And I did help! Now you know you have confidence enough to deal with people, the pill didn't do anything, it was all n your head.”

Klaus sighed.

“I'm gonna kill you when you get back. Now go back to sleep.”

“Yes mom.” Stefan said annoyed. “Just so you know, I really believe you can do this.”

“Thanks mate... I'm still killing you.”

 

Luckily for Klaus, Caroline wasn’t just good at advertising, she was also very good at planning events. She managed to make the gallery look warm and inviting, she got food and coffee for the guests and printed forms for them to fill in which paintings they wanted. Klaus thought it was a little bit too much, but she seemed so into it, he didn’t want to ruin her good mood. He was thankful that she was there. With her there he knew he would be calmer. He just wished there was some sort of magical pill that would fix him up before having to talk to people.

He thought about it a lot. About how the night at the exhibition he felt only a little better around all the guests after Stefan gave him the pills, but then he felt at peace when he started talking to Caroline even though her beauty made him feel like a nervous teenager. And that other night at the bar he felt relaxed while talking to her. So maybe Stefan was right, maybe he had it in him all along. Or maybe it wasn’t the pills or his confidence but the other little factor.

Caroline.

She made him better. She made him feel safe.

He knew then, with her by his side, this meeting would be a success.

“Thank you so much for helping me with all this.” Klaus said while carrying some of his paintings down to the gallery.

“No problem, I’m always glad to help.” Caroline said while putting down a tray with cupcakes on a table. “So who is this big shot that is buying your paintings?” She asked. She was always careful and prepared, so she wanted to do a little research about this costumer but with her job increasing since her promotions she didn’t even the time, she even forgot to get a name days ago.

“Mason Lockwood. He wants paintings for his new Hotel.”

Caroline froze when she heard that name.

“Lockwood?” She whispered. Klaus turned to her and noticed the panic in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head looking everywhere but him.

“I don’t think I should be here.”

“What?” Klaus rushed to her and placed his hands on her arms. “What are you talking about?”

“Mason Lockwood is Tyler’s uncle.”

“Tyler?”

“My ex, the one that cheated on me. I met Mason many times. I had Holiday dinners with him and his family. And now he’s buying paintings to the guy I’m currently dating! I’m not sure he’ll be thrilled to hear that.” She said with a pout.

Klaus sighed with relief, she was just worried that her relationship with the Lockwoods would affect his business. He smiled softly and cupped her face.

“We’ll tell him you’re my advertiser, he doesn’t need to know you’re also my girlfriend.” He stroked her cheeks with his thumps and she placed her hands around his wrists. “I would really appreciate if you could stay here and help me. Who knows, maybe he’ll buy me more paintings if you give him a recommendation.”

Caroline took a deep breath and nodded. And then she smirked.

“So… I’m your girlfriend now, uh?” She said with a teasing tone. Klaus swallowed loudly. They never spoke about what they were and where they stood in their relationship. But he wasn’t going to back down. So he straightened his back and smiled with confidence.

“Yes, you are. And I’m your boyfriend. If anyone doesn’t like it, then they can go to hell.”

Caroline giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer for a kiss. Afterwards they rested their foreheads against each other’s and Caroline closed her eyes.

“I like how that sounds.”

 

A few minutes later a car pulled outside and Klaus opened the door to receive Mason. They introduced themselves and shook each other’s hands. When Mason stepped in and looked around, his eyes landed on Caroline.

“Caroline!” He said with a wide smile while walking towards her. She smiled and tucked a stand of her hair behind her ear.

“Hi Mr. Lockwood.” She said shyly. Mason frowned for a second and then laughed.

“We’ve known each other for three years, I’m not letting you call me Mr. Lockwood.” He said before pulling her into a tight hug. “We missed you last Thanksgiving.” He added. Caroline tried not to grimace at the comment. She missed the last Thanksgiving with the Lockwood family because that was after she caught Tyler on top of Hayley.

Speaking of the devil.

“Hello.” Tyler said from the door. “Tyler Lockwood.” He added while stretching his hand to shake Klaus’. Both Klaus and Caroline opened their eyes widely in shock.

“Klaus Mikaelson. Come on in.” He mumbled while shaking the young man’s hand. He hated him already. This was the guy that Caroline loved so much and broke her heart? He didn’t look like much.

Stepping into the gallery, Tyler spotted the blonde standing next to his uncle.

“Caroline? What are you doing here?” He asked shocked and clearly embarrassed.

“I’m Klaus’ advertiser. And you?”

“I’m starting to take place in the family business.” He replied.

“Well this is awkward…” Mason mumbled.

The four of them walked around the gallery and looked at the paintings. Klaus explained a little bit about each one and Mason commented what kind of paintings he wanted for each section of the hotel. Like abstract ones for the lobby, landscapes for the bedrooms, still life for the restaurant and something like a fancy portrait for the main suit. Caroline would add her opinions and flatter Klaus’ hard work, while Tyler did pretty much nothing but check her out.

That was really starting to upset Klaus.

They were almost done and it was time to make a deal. Caroline invited them to take a seat and talk about prices while she grabbed the cupcakes and the coffee from the kitchen. Sadly, Tyler offered to help, which was just an excuse to get her alone.

“You look great Care.” He commented when they stepped into the kitchen.

“Thanks.” She said walking towards the counter with the cupcakes on top of it. She wasn’t going to compliment him back.

“I didn’t know you advertised artists.” He said.

“I don’t, actually. The agency was hired to advertise his last exhibition and…” She pursed her lips while thinking what to say next without giving away too much. “His manager isn’t here so I’m helping.”

“Always such a charitable soul.” He said, but somehow it sounded like he was mocking her. She frowned. Tyler never took her work seriously. He would always say she was silly for taking it too seriously, after all advertising was all just a bunch of lies to get people to buy things. But to Caroline it was a lot more than that. It was a creative process, it was art.

“Yeah well I got promoted so I must be doing something right.”

Tyler arched his eyebrows, like he was feeling attacked when he was an innocent victim.

“That’s great, Care. You don’t have to prove anything to me.” He said, which made Caroline roll her eyes. “Still, that is great news.”

“Thanks.”

“So um…” He stepped into her personal space while rubbing the back of his neck. “Listen, I know I was an ass and I hurt you badly but Hayley and I aren't together anymore, we’re over and…” He sighed, looking like a sad little puppy. “I miss you. I want you back.” He said placing his hands on her arms.

While Klaus’ hands felt comforting, Tyler’s only made her feel uncomfortable.

“Tyler, I can’t.” She said stepping back and away from him. He frowned and dropped his hands.

“I swear I’ll work hard to deserve your trust back.”

She shook her head.

“No, that’s not why. I’m seeing someone.” She said. “And even if I wasn’t, I still wouldn’t go back with you. You cheated and made me feel like I wasn’t good enough!”

Tyler clenched his fists.

“Who is it?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Caroline said shaking her head.

“Yes it does. Is it Matt?” Tyler insisted.

“No.”

“Then who? Who are you dating?”

“Me.”

They turned to door, where the voice came from. Klaus had just stepped into the kitchen and Mason was right behind him.

“She’s dating me.” Klaus gave Tyler a deadly glare while he walked to Caroline. He put an arm around her waist protectively and she would have thought it was a sweet gesture if it wasn’t because of the look on his face. He looked like he was ready to kill Tyler and it was a little scary.

“So that’s what happened…” Mason suddenly said. “I knew there was no chance that Caroline was the one cheating in the relationship.” He added while tapping his chin.

Caroline gasped and looked at Tyler. Now Klaus didn’t look so scary with Caroline throwing daggers at her ex.

“You told him I cheated on you?!” She practically yelled.

Tyler made a face.

“You know my father and most of my family are public figures, I couldn’t have a scandal like cheating on my girlfriend in my record.”

“You… asshole…” Caroline hissed.

“I think you should leave.” Klaus said looking at Tyler. Caroline’s anger suddenly subsided.

“But… the paintings…” Caroline mumbled. Oh great, she ruined his chance to sell his art.

“This doesn’t change anything.” Mason said. “I’m still buying them.” The other three people in the kitchen turned to look at him in surprise, but he just looked at Klaus. “I’ll send you a check, alright?” Klaus nodded and watched him turn to the door. “Come on Tyler.”

Tyler sighed and looked at Caroline apologetically, but she didn’t believe it for one second.

 

Klaus watched Caroline eat her third cupcake. She was a little ball covered with blankets on his couch. He didn’t mind, he was just glad she was doing better now because as soon as Tyler and Mason left, she broke down in the kitchen. She started sobbing, tears of anger and hurt mixed together and running down her cheeks. Klaus had never been good at comforting people but he knew he had to try for her. So he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair soothingly. He let her cry until she was done and then made her go to his studio while he prepared some tea.

And that’s how they ended there, with Caroline eating her feelings in cupcakes and curling up against Klaus on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her side. She looked sad, but at least she wasn’t crying anymore.

After a moment she looked up at him and groaned.

“Ugh I must look horrible.” She said running her hands under her eyes to clean the mascara and make up all messed up.

“No, you just look sad, which in my opinion is a lot worse.” Klaus commented. Then he wiped some frosting left on the corner of her lips and licked it off.

If she hadn’t been so sad, she would have found it very sexy.

“I’m sorry I ruined everything.”

“You didn’t ruin anything love.” Klaus said shaking his head. “He’s the one that cheated and lied. You’re the victim, not me, not him, no one else. I don’t want to hear you apologize ever again.” Caroline looked at him with big eyes in silence for a few seconds.

“You’re so nice to me. Why are you so good?” She asked. To Klaus that was a silly question with an obvious answer.

“Because you make me good.” He caressed her cheek and smiled. “You’re my snowflake. You were there for me when I needed you. You fixed me when I couldn’t breathe. And I would do the same for you.”

Caroline shook her head a little.

“I didn’t fix you. You’re not broken.”

She scooted a little closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

“You think Stefan will be mad?” Caroline asked softly.

“I don’t think he has reasons to. Mason said he’s buying the paintings anyway.”

“Yeah, because you’re an amazing artist, but I clearly failed today.” She said with a sigh.

Klaus took her gently by her chin and made her look at him.

“You didn’t fail. And if Stefan has a problem with the way things happened today, then I’ll deal with him.”

Caroline smiled softly and leaned up to press her lips against his. He quickly kissed her back.

“You know what? Even though Tyler hurt me, I’m glad we broke up, because I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

 

**Somewhere in England**

 

Mikael stood in front of his desk, looking shocked at Elijah, who was sitting behind the desk. Elijah had a pleased look on his face.

“What did you just say?”

“You’re fired.” Elijah replied.

“You can’t fire me. I own this firm.” Mikael said. At first he laughed but now that Elijah repeated his words, he wasn’t so amused.

“Actually, not anymore. This law firm has partners and since all the partners feel like you cannot be trusted, we’ve all voted to get you out.” Elijah said before getting up from the chair. He took a folder he had in front of him and walked around the desk. “Here are some numbers from the last commissions you got from the cases you worked on the last year. Nothing weird about it.” He said nonchalantly. Mikael could tell he was being mocked. “But here is a copy of ever movement of money done by the clients. And they paid a lot more for your services. You fooled our clients and stole from the company.” He dropped the folder the desk.

“Money that paid your mother and sibling’s life style, by the way.” Mikael said, not even trying to deny it.

“Yes. And you could get away with it by paying it back. But here’s where it gets interesting. These aren’t the only papers you’ve distorted.” Elijah continued and he couldn’t help but smirk when he saw Mikael turn pale. “You’ve changed the evidence used in the trials. You’ve sent innocent people in jail just to screw over their lawyers and get rid of some competition. And the Wilson case? You defended an old college mate, made him look innocent by destroying evidence. He stole money and sold fake actions and he’s still free!”

“You’ll never get away with this!” Mikael suddenly yelled.

“I already did!” Elijah yelled back, which made Mikael stop in shock. “Every single file, every single case, I have everything. Thousands of copies everywhere, safe and away from you.”

“Why?” Mikael asked in a hiss. Elijah narrowed his eyes.

“Because you deserve to be in jail, for one reason or another.” He replied and then smirked, taking his seat behind the desk again. “I would suggest you to get a good lawyer, but the state will be providing you one.”

Mikael frowned.

“Why is that? I can pay for my own lawyer.”

Elijah smiled widely.

“No, you can’t. Not since mother decided to take all your money and put it away. Also I found the bank accounts you had in other countries. That money has been used to pay back everything you stole.”

“YOU DID WHAT?” Mikael roared.

“So you don’t have anything. I'll lead the office in America while Rose and Trevor take over here.” Elijah stretched to press a button on the phone. “Send them in.”

Two cops walked into the office and cuffed Mikael.

“Mikael Mikaelson, you’re under arrest. You’ve been charged by fraud and money washing. You have the right to remain in silence….”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next few chapters:  
> Tatia appears. Dun dun duuuuuun  
> Elijah carries on with the project of opening a new office in America.  
> And! Romantic weekend at the lake house.   
> So stay tunned!


	12. Chapter 12

**Four Years ago**

 

“Happy New Year, Niklaus!” Elijah said before pulling Klaus for a hug.

“Happy New Year, brother.” He said back. Everyone cheered and balloons fell from the roof, filling the room.

“I'm gonna go get more drinks!” Elijah said over the music before stepping away. Klaus chuckled.

“I think you had enough!” He said after his brother, but he was ignored. Elijah wasn't the kind of man that would drink up and embarrass himself, but every now and then during the holidays, he would loose his tie and have fun. And if the image of him dancing wildly with some coworkers was any indication, then Klaus knew he would have a big headache the next day.

Klaus felt something pulling him by his arm and when he turned to look he saw Tatia pursing her lips.

“Happy New Year.” Tatia said with a purr before pulling him for a kiss. “I'll go ponder my nose, I'll be right back.” 

“Sure.” 

People danced around him, laughed and drank the champagne. Kol walked around with his arm around a pretty redhead while Rebekah pouted because was only fourteen and wasn't allowed to date anyone yet.

“I didn't get a New Year's kiss.” She said while taking the stool next to Klaus'.

“You'll have plenty of time for that little sister.” Klaus said before kissing her cheek. Rebekah smiled at the sweet gesture.

“Thanks Nik. Hey, have you seen Elijah? Father was looking for him. Something about wanting to make an announcement.”

Klaus shook his head.

“He said something about getting more drinks. Perhaps he's still at the wine cellar. I'll go get him.”

That had been the best excuse to get out, since he didn't do well in crowded places. The alcohol and his family were the only things helping him that night, otherwise he would have left long ago.

He watched the waiters and the cooks working in the kitchen as he made his way to the cellar.

As expected, Elijah was still there, but he wasn't alone. Something stopped him from bursting in, and instead he watched from behind the door.

Tatia stood in front of Elijah, her hands playing with his tie. She had a naughty smirk on her face and her arms pressed against her sides, bringing her breasts up.

“You looked great tonight at the dance floor.” She said with a giggle.

“Doubtful. I'm sure I won't hear the end of it.” Elijah said. “I'll blame it to the festivities.” He added while lifting the bottle he had in his hand.

“Ah yes. There are a lot of things we can blame to the alcohol.” She arched an eyebrow and looked at him through her lashes. “Elijah, do you think I'm pretty?” She asked while stepping closer. Now her body was fully pressed against his.

Elijah cleared his throat.

“Why yes, I do think you're very pretty.” He said awkwardly. Tatia smirke and placed her hands on his shoulders.

“Won't you give me a New Year's kiss?” 

“Your my brother's girlfriend.” Elijah said confused.

“No one has to know...”

Enough was enough. Klaus pushed the door open and watched Elijah tense and Tatia jump a step back.

“Elijah.” Klaus called. Elijah flinched thinking he would be facing a very angry Klaus. “Father is looking for you.” he hissed.

After a few seconds of confusion, Elijah nodded his head and walked out. Tatia followed him to the door, but Klaus quickly blocked her way out with his arm.

“I don't want to see your face ever again.”

Tatia didn't have a chance to reply. Klaus just walked out the cellar. By the time he made it to ballroom, Mikael was announcing that Elijah had been promoted. Everyone cheered and clapped. Elijah shook Mikael's hand and looked around the crowd. When his eyes landed on his brother, Klaus saw the sorrow in them, but that didn't ease the pain.

Klaus pushed through his way out the room and made it to the second floor where his room was. That night he packed his things and left.

 

**Present day**

 

Everyone hates Mondays, specially when there's so much work to do, but Stefan seemed so excited about Klaus' deal with Mason that he just couldn't wait to get all the paintings wrapped up and ready to be delivered to Mason's office. He even managed to wake Klaus up at 6 am.

Klaus, on the other hand, was happy just knowing someone wanted his paintings. He just hoped he could give the money a good use, like buying new art supplies or maybe even a present for Caroline, since her support had been the only thing keeping his sane the last few weeks.

“How many did you sell?” Stefan asked while looking around the paintings wrapped in bubble wrap that filled the studio.

“About 32... and I promised another 25 by the time the Hotel opens next year.” Klaus said while closing one box. “I'm gonna need a few more boxes.” He commented.

“I'll go get them, you finish up with the wrapping. We gotta keep these babies safe!” He said while walking out. Klaus watched him go and chuckled. He hadn't seen his friend so happy before and it was nice to know he made Stefan proud. He felt proud of himself as well.

And why wouldn't he? His art was good enough to sell, he had good friends that supported him, he had an amazing girlfriend and Elijah had called him that weekend to let him know that the trial against Mikael had started. Mikael was going to jail and he would pay for his crimes. Life couldn't be better.

And of course, he jinxed it.

The front door opened and closed and he could hear some heels clicking against the floor with each step. He didn't bother looking down the balcony before making his way downstairs, but he would wish he had. He froze in the middle of the stairs when he saw Tatia about to make her way upstairs. She stopped at the end of the stairs and smirked at him.

“Hello handsome. Missed me?”

It had been four years since last time they saw each other and things didn't end well between them. She still looked the same. Slim, curly brown hair, clothes that showed too much cleavage... but there was something different about her. Years hadn't been kind to her and her age started to show.

“Petrova.” Klaus pronounced her last name with a hiss. “What are you doing here?”

“I sense a little bit of hardness in your voice, Nik. That's not a way to treat an old friend.”

Klaus rolled his eyes and reached the end of the stairs and ignored her as he walked to the door.

“Unless you have a good reason to be here, you should leave.”

Tatia blinked, obviously confused.

“You're not still mad at me, are you?” Klaus only gave her a cold look. “I'll take that as a yes.” She sighed. “It was years ago, Nik. I was young and I wanted attention. But I've changed and I know you've changed too. I look around and I see all the hard work you've done. After all, not everyone gets an article in The New Your Times.” She said with a smirk.

Klaus rolled his eyes.

“Of course! You found out I'm doing well so you came to try and seduce me so you could put your filthy pawns on my money.” He accused.

“America really has made you bitter.”

“I was bitter before I came, you just weren't paying attention. Perhaps you were too busy going after Elijah.” He said crossing his arms on his chest.

“Nik...” Tatia started.

“Don't call me that.” Klaus interrupted. “I've just started my business and all the money made by Mikael is gone, so I doubt there's any money left that you can try and make yours. I will only ask you one more time. What are you doing here?”

Tatia took a breath.

“I want you back. I miss you.”

“It's been four years, I'm sure you moved on. I know I have, but nice try.”

Tatia huffed and rolled her eyes.

“You disappeared, alright?! One day you were there and the next you were gone! At first I thought we could use the time apart since I hurt you, but you never came back and I couldn't find you. No one knew where you were and Elijah wasn't going to tell me.” She explained throwing her arms in the air. “As soon as I read the article about you I jumped on a plane and came here, that means I care!”

“It means you're desperate.” Klaus said. “I don't care what you've done or how much you've grown, I deserve better.” Four years ago, he wouldn't believe that, but now he knew was wrong. Mikael was wrong. He deserved better. “You just didn't try to seduce my brother. You manipulated me all the time, you put me down, made fun of my flaws, used me as your personal bank account. And you never apologized.”

Tatia sighed and stepped closer.

“You're right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Give me another chance, please.”

“No.” Klaus said simply.

“No?” Tatia frowned. “I apologized, isn't that what you wanted?”

“Four years ago, yes! But like I said, I've moved on.”

Tatia never took a no for an answer.

“I was your first love, Niklaus. Don't you remember? All those night at the cabin... You painting me naked...” She said low and sensually. How absurd it sounded him painting her naked as if he adored her, when it had been her request.

“I thought I was in love. I was young.” Klaus said. It wasn't an excuse, he really thought he was in love while he thought he would never get anything better than that, but with time he learned he was wrong. Tatia, not willing to give up just yet, moved her hands up his chest to his shoulders.

“You wanna tell me you don't feel anything?” She purred.

He did feel something, but nothing related to love. Once again he felt uncomfortable while being touched. He thought he was over it since he hadn't feel that way in a while. He was comfortable with his friends and lately the only touch he craved was Caroline's. It was amazing how different the touch of two people could make him feel.

He tried to step back but Tatia held him by his shoulders to keep him close while she stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his.

Klaus quickly felt repulsed by her and managed to push her away. That's when he noticed the door open and a figure standing there.

“Caroline...”

Her eyes were tearing and her lower lip was trembling. Whatever she was holding had slipped out her hands and now was all over the floor. She looked crushed.

“Who's this?” Tatia asked, her hands still on Klaus. But Klaus quickly pushed her further away and rushed to the door while he watched Caroline run away.

Klaus didn't caught up with her since she got in a cab that drove her away quickly.

 

 

**Caroline's POV**

 

One day you get up feeling happy and the next moment your heart is being ripped out your chest and stepped on. Twice. She thought she either had really bad luck or the universe had a weird sense of humor, because this was the second time she was cheated on.

That morning had been uneventful so far. Caroline had a lot of work to do at the agency but still had time to see Klaus during her lunch break as usual. She packed some home made chocolate chips cookies for him, since she enjoyed making little gestures like that. She skipped happily to the gallery but when she opened the door she felt like she had been punched in the guts.

Some pretty brunette was shoving her tongue inside Klaus' mouth.

The air suddenly left her lungs. She thought she was going to throw up. Her hands became shaky and dropped the container with cookies.

“Caroline...” Klaus whispered when he looked at her. He was just as shocked as she was.

Caroline quickly turned around and ran away, wanting to get away from that damn gallery, away from HIM.

She didn't even noticed the car driving her way when she crossed the street. Luckily it stopped before it could hit her. Caroline gasped and placed her hands on the hood, trying to catch a breath and put her thoughts together.

“Caroline!” Klaus called out again. Caroline looked up and saw the car in front of her was an empty cab. She rushed to the side and got in.

“Where to?” The driver said, clearly annoyed to the girl that had just jumped in front of him. Caroline saw Klaus through the window, rushing to get to her.

“Just get me out of here.”

As the driver took her away, she saw Klaus stopping on the sidewalk, looking defeated.

 

**Back to the gallery**

 

Now that he could take a better look, he realized what laid on the floor were cookies. Caroline loved baking cookies during the weekends.

“Oh god...” Klaus groaned.

“Was that your girlfriend?” Tatia asked. Klaus' head snapped to the voice and saw her standing near one of his paintings. “I take it that you two are over so... what do you say if we have dinner tonight?”

Klaus stared at her for a moment.

“Are you serious? You just made my girlfriend think I was cheating on her and you want me to have dinner with you?!” He hissed. Tatia smirked, but before she could reply, Klaus had her by her shoulders, pinning her against a wall. “I told you I don't want to see your face ever again.” He said low and threatening.

“Oh I love when you get rough. It's kinky!” Tatia teased. Klaus growled and punched the wall with his fist, right next to her head. Any hint of a smile or playfulness in Tatia's face suddenly faded away. She didn't know how lucky she was that Klaus swore to never hit a woman or a child in his life.

“I'm not playing games here Tatia. Come near me one more time and I'll kill you.” Klaus threatened, hoping she would believe him and finally leave him alone. He took her by her arm and pushed her out of the gallery, quickly locking the door behind her.

There were cookies on the floor, a hole on the wall and Caroline was heartbroken.

Klaus could feel the panic attack building up in his chest.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Caroline didn’t go back to the office after her lunch break and Elena was worried. She tried calling her friend but Caroline never picked up. After work, Elena decided to go to her place and see if she was there. Since Katherine always picked her up, she tagged along. Caroline wasn't the kind of person that would just drop her work for no reason, so whatever happened to her, the twins knew would be big. But they just weren’t expecting Caroline to open her door, wrapped in a blanket, looking sadder than a puppy that just lost its tennis ball. Her eyes were swollen and red because of all the crying and when she spoke her voice sounded hoarse.

“You’re not the Chinese I ordered.” She said with a pout.

Katherine and Elena both looked surprised.

“Care, what happened?” Elena said.

“Yeah, you look like crap.” Katherine added, which made Elena give her a deadly glare. She wanted to point out that Caroline didn’t need that kind of talk when she was clearly upset, but was interrupted by Caroline’s cries.

“He cheated!”

“Are we still on the Tyler subject?” Katherine mumbled.

“No, Klaus!” Caroline said before going back to her couch. She sat there hugging a pillow tight against her chest. “I found him kissing another girl!”

The Gilbert sisters stepped into the apartment and sat with their friend.

“I can’t believe it!” Katherine said annoyed.

“I’m so sorry, Care.” Elena said while wrapping her arm around her friend’s shoulders to comfort her.

“I really liked him. Why do the guys I like do this? Why am I not good enough?” Caroline said between sobs.

“You are good enough, Care! You’re the best person I know!” Elena said.

“Not to mention you have legs to die for and Barbie face. You’re a catch.” Katherine said with a wink.

“I’ve been cheated on twice already. There must be something wrong with me!”

“You know what you need? A girls’ night. We’re gonna eat ice cream and bitch about men.” Katherine said.

“That sounds fun, right Care?” Elena asked while rubbing Caroline’s arm. After a moment Caroline nodded her head.

“Yeah.”

“Great, I’ll call Bonnie and tell her to come over.” Elena said before walking to another room. When she pulled out her phone she found a text from Stefan, asking her if she was still up for their date that night. Elena bit her lip and frowned, she completely forgot about their date. Knowing she couldn’t leave her friend like that, she texted Stefan back, letting him know Caroline needed her and they were having a sleep over. She hoped he would understand. After that she called Bonnie.

 

 

Stefan frowned when he read Elena's text. Last time he heard of Caroline she was doing fine. He made a mental note to ask Klaus about it since he was on his way to see him.

What he saw when he entered the gallery really took him by surprise. Paintings were all over the floor along with what looked like cookies. Some of the frames were broken. It looked like someone actually smashed them against the floor. And there was a hole on the wall. Stefan quickly ran upstairs, thinking someone broke in.

“Klaus?! Klaus!” He said pushing the door to the studio. His eyes roamed the messy room, where the furniture was upside down and papers and books on the floor. Klaus was sitting on the floor with his head in his hands.  “Hey! Hey! Are you hurt?” Stefan asked walking closer to him.

Klaus shook his head and looked up at him.

“I screwed it up.” He mumbled. Stefan was really confused. He sat on the floor in front of Klaus.

“Tell me what happened.” He said softly.

Klaus took a few breaths before talking.

“Tatia came.”

“Rings a bell.” Stefan mumbled.

“I told you about her, she's my ex, the one that tried to seduce Elijah.” Stefan made a face and nodded his head so Klaus continued. “She came here today asking for a second chance. She kissed me and Caroline saw it.”

“That explains it...” Stefan said. Klaus looked at him confused, so Stefan explained. “Elena and I were supposed to go out tonight but she canceled. She said she needs to stay with Caroline because she's very upset. Now I know why.”

Klaus groaned.

“Stupid! Stupid Tatia! She ruined everything! I never meant to hurt Caroline!”

Stefan nodded.

“I know, I believe you. You have to tell Caroline about this, you can explain everything and I'm sure she'll believe you too.” Stefan said trying to cheer him up.

“Her ex boyfriend cheated on her. I don't think she can forgive this.”

“But you didn't cheat on her. Not really! I mean... do you have feelings for this Tatia girl?”

Klaus frowned.

“No! I don't have feelings for Tatia, or any other girl! I only want Caroline.”

Stefan nodded his head again.

“Caroline needs to know that.”

“But how? I'm not good with words and I doubt she'll ever listen to me.” Klaus said sadly.

“We'll figure it out.” Stefan said in a comforting tone.

 

 

A couple of hours later the girls insisted on having a night out at their usual bar. Caroline only wanted to lay down on her couch, eat ice cream and watch corny movies but her friends saw her go through the same after she caught Tyler cheating and they were worried about her. Elena practically dressed Caroline and Katherine put some make on her, and together they dragged her out her apartment.

That's how she ended there, having drinks at the bar while the others played pool and Elena texted like crazy on her phone. Caroline just assumed she was texting Stefan. She felt bad for ruining their time together that night. Stefan barely spent time with Elena after he arrived from Italy.

She sighed, wishing she could crawl under the safety of her blankets and never get out.

A glass was pushed in front of her. When she looked up she saw Matt standing behind the bar top with a sad look.

“You looked like you could use another drink.” He said before taking her previous glass.

“Yeah, thanks.” She mumbled.

“Listen Care. Elena told me what happened.” Matt said. Caroline groaned quietly, Elena needed to keep certain things to herself. “I'm sorry you went through that again.”

“Thanks Matt.”

“I just want you to know you don't have to put up with that. Not with me...” He started. Caroline lifted her hand to stop him.

“Let’s not do this right now, alright? I know what you're going to say, but I had a horrible day. I just saw my boyfriend kissing someone other girl, I'm not ready for this.”

“Then when will you be ready?” Matt asked with frustration. “I watched while you dated Tyler and I waited for your heart to heal after he cheated. I don't know how long I can keep waiting.”

“Then DON'T!” Caroline snapped. She knew Matt had feelings for her but that wasn't the right moment to confess. “Matt, you're super sweet and good looking, but you're also my friend and that won't change.”

Matt looked crushed for a moment before he could put up a mask. He lifted his hands in surrender and walked away to take someone else's order.

Caroline groaned.

“Things can't get worse now!” When she turned around on her stool she realized Stefan had arrived to the bar and was kissing Elena. “Nop, I take that back, it can get worse..” She mumbled to herself, lifting the glass to down her drink. She watched while Stefan looked around and Elena pointed at her at the bar. Caroline frowned and saw Stefan make his way to her.

“Hey.” He said simply.

“Hey.”

 _Careful, Caroline. Stefan is Klaus' friend..._ She told herself.

“Klaus told me what happened.” Stefan said while sitting on the stool next to her.

“Please tell me you're not here to defend him. I know he's your friend, but today was a roller coaster of emotions and I don't know if I can handle any more.” Caroline groaned.

“I won't defend him, although I have every reason to because I know the story behind what you saw today. But that's something Klaus should explain himself. I'm here because I want to show you something.”

“Okay... what is it?”

“You have to come with me for me to show you.”

Caroline thought about it for a moment. While looking around she realized she didn't want to be there any longer.

“Sure, where are we going?” She asked while pulling out her wallet to pay her drinks.

“To the gallery.” Stefan replied. Caroline froze and gave him a look. “He won't be there, I promise.”

 

 

Marcel rolled his eyes when he heard Klaus sigh sadly for the tenth time.

“Come on, man! You have to cheer up!” He said.

“And why would I do that?” Klaus mumbled.

“For starters, because seeing you like this is very depressing.” Marcel said while leaning on the door frame. “If you want her so bad then just call her and explain to her what happened.”

“She won't believe me. She's been cheated before, I don't think she'll ever forgive me. Besides, what am I supposed to say? “My crazy ex can't understand I'm over her so she shoved her tongue inside my mouth the exact moment you walked in.”?... that's a little bit hard to believe.”

“She will if she knows how you feel about her... I've seen you have panic attacks, I've seen you have anger fits, but I've never seen you being so upset over a girl.” He said. Klaus only sighed sadly again. “If she was right here right now, what would you say to her?”

Klaus took a moment to think and then took a breath.

“I would tell her that...” He frowned. “..she deserves better.” Marvel blinked, surprised by Klaus' words. “That she shouldn't take crap from any man because she's wonderful. She's beautiful and smart and she makes people around her happy...” He looked down to his hands. “She deserves better.” He repeated. “I can't even put in words how she makes me feel... it's like... whenever she's around or whenever I think of her, there's this pressure on my chest, like my heart is being squeezed and I can't breath. And it hurts, but it's a delicious kind of pain.” He rubbed his face with his hands and then shook his head in resignation. “Maybe this is for the best, I'm too messed up for her. You said it yourself, I had panic attacks and anger fits, she can do better.”

Marcel shook his head.

“Alright, stop this self-pity party. By saying that you're just proving that care so much about her you're willing to sacrifice your happiness for hers, and that means you do deserve her.”

Klaus didn't reply to him, so Marcel just rolled his eyes and made his way to the kitchen to grab a beer. His phone vibrated in his pocket.

“The eagle is in the nest.” Stefan's text said. Marcel rolled his eyes again and texted back.

“Really, Salvatore?” He looked around before throwing his cell phone inside Klaus' cupboard.

“Ooooh man!” He groaned dramatically while walking back to the living room. “I think I forgot my cell phone at the gallery.” Klaus looked unimpressed. “Let's go get it!”

 

 

When Stefan told her he had something to show her, she wasn't expecting it would be her own face. After they arrived to the gallery Stefan showed her the paintings Klaus kept hidden in his studio. They were all portraits of her. Some of them where happy, others looked like she was daydreaming or she was looking at something in the distance. There were many sketches too, probably because drawing her in small papers was easier than painting her on canvas. Klaus had immortalized on paper little moments of her life. She just couldn't believe she looked so beautiful to him.

One drawing in particular caught her attention. Klaus drew her sleeping. She seemed to be naked and covered only by a thin sheet, which hugged her curves perfectly. She had a small smile on her face. It was very sensual and the thought of Klaus drawing it after the night they shared made her blush.

“You're his muse, Caroline.” Stefan said.

“I can't believe he painted me.” She whispered as she looked around the room.

“What the hell...” Caroline and Stefan turned to see a very shocked Klaus. He looked at Caroline and then saw all the portraits of her scattered around the room. “Do you have a dead wish, Salvatore?” He was going to kill Stefan for showing her those.

Stefan quickly tried to make his way to the door.

“What are you doing here?” Klaus asked.

“Saving your relationship.” Marcel said before pushing Klaus further into the room.

“Wha--”

Both Stefan and Marcel stepped out and closed the door.

“Guys?” Caroline called out while Klaus tried opening the door but clearly someone was holding the knob on the other side.

“You're not getting out until you two fix this!” Marcel said.

“You two have been moping around all day and this has to stop.” Stefan added. “Klaus, just tell her the truth!”

Klaus swallowed hard and turned to Caroline. She looked just as shocked as him.

“I had no idea they were going to do this.” He said. “I understand I'm the last person you want to be locked in with.”

Caroline sighed and looked around the paintings once again. Klaus tried hard not to groan of embarrassment.

“In case I haven't said it before, you're very talented.”

Klaus couldn't help but smile a little.

“Thanks... I was afraid you would think I was some creep.”

“Oh for the love of god.” Marcel groaned behind the door.

“Get on with it already!” Stefan added.

“I'm going to kill you both when we get out of here!” Klaus yelled at the door. Caroline let out a small laugh which eased the tension a little bit.

“Stefan told you to tell me the truth. What was he talking about?”

Klaus leaned his forehead against the door and groaned.

“It's about what you saw today...” He stepped back from the door and turned to her. “It's not what it looked like, no matter how cliché that sounds. The girl you saw is my ex. We broke up four years ago and believe me when I saw there's no lost love between us.”

“She doesn't seem to be over you though.” Caroline commented.

“She found out I was here selling my art and came asking for a second chance. But I know her well enough to know she's in love with my wallet, not with me.” He shook his head. “She never knew how to take a no for an answer so she insisted.”

Caroline looked around the room. Klaus could tell she was having an inner battle about her feelings.

“Tell her what you told me today!” Marcel said, still behind the door. “About how beautiful you think she is and how she deserves better!”

Klaus had never been more embarrassed in his life.

“For fucks sake, mate!”

“Is it true?” Caroline asked softly. “You really think that of me?” Klaus looked at her like the answer was obvious.

“Of course I do! You're gorgeous! And pure.. and unique... you're a snowflake! I mean, why else would I paint you so many times?”

“12 times to be precise.” Stefan said. “Without counting the drawings.”

“You forgot to say your heart feels like being squeezed when you think of her...” Marcel added.

“Marcel, I have your mother's number, if you don't shut up I'll call her and tell her you smoked pot during college!” Klaus said.

There was a long silence.

“I think he got the message.” Stefan said.

Caroline chuckled.

“You're lucky to have them as friends.” She said.

“Yeah... they're a pain in my ass, but I wouldn't trade them for the world...” Klaus said with a sigh, then looked back at her. “Marcel is right though. I do feel that way. The truth is...” He took a breath, gathering all the courage he had. “The truth is I'm in love with you.”

Caroline opened her eyes widely in shock.

“You are?”

“Yes. I know it's soon and if seeing my 12 paintings of you wasn't creepy enough before, then it is now, but it's the truth. The way I feel about you and how I feel when I'm with you are things I never experienced before. And I'm not ready for this to end. I don't want Tatia, or Mikael or anyone for my past to ruin my future with you. I love you...” He smiled a little. “It feels good to say it out loud.”

Caroline smiled widely and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him for a big, deep kiss.

“I love you too.” She whispered against his lips.

If Klaus thought his heart was squeezed before, then he was sure it would explode when he heard those words.

“You do?” He asked in shock.

“Yeah… I guess that’s why it hurt so badly when I saw you with her. I knew I fell hard and really fast for you and I thought I’d lost you already.”

Klaus smiled and shook his head.

“You will never lose me. And there will never be another woman for me.”

“That was beautiful.” Marcel mumbled.

“Are you crying?” Stefan asked.

“No, I just got something in my eye...”

“Yeah, it's called 'feels'.”

 


	14. Chapter 14

A few days passed since the Tatia incident and things couldn't be better. Klaus looked at the blonde beauty lying next to him on his bed. She really was a snowflake. They couldn't keep their hands off each other, they talked for hours, sometimes curled on the bed, other times on the phone. They learned what the other liked and disliked, most embarrassing moments and happiest memories. Waking up like this was Klaus' favorite moment.

His phone vibrated on the bedside table. He got up quickly yet as carefully as he could, took the phone and left the room so he could talk without waking Caroline up.

The phone call was from Elijah and he just wanted to let Klaus know that he would be moving to America soon, along with their younger siblings. At first it was a little bit shocking, but Elijah explained that both Rebekah and Kol needed to start a career and they would have better chances in New York. Besides, Esther still had Finn with her and she didn’t need anyone to take care of her. She even had plans to go on a vacation with her best gals once they were done with Mikael’s trial, which was going pretty well (except for Mikael himself, of course). Elijah was pretty sure Mikael would be in jail for at least 8 years.

By the time Klaus walked back into his bedroom, Caroline was awake. She was curled under the covers, not wanting to get up just yet.

“Morning sweetheart.” Klaus said while sitting on the bed.

“Good morning.” She mumbled and smiled sleepily. Klaus smiled back and caressed her hair.

“I just got off the phone with Elijah.” He said. Caroline instantly sat up on the bed to listen to him, holding the blankets against her naked chest. “He’s moving here to start the new law firm. Kol and Rebekah will be joining him soon after that. And looks like Mikael will be spending some time in jail.”

Caroline reached out to take his hand. She knew talking about Mikael was hard for him.

“How do you feel about all this?” She asked softly. Klaus took a moment to reply and then smiled a little.

“I’m actually glad I’ll get to see my siblings without them having to sneak around. They had to come up with excuses whenever they came to visit me.” He explained. “Now Mikael can’t get in the way. Rebekah wants to be a photographer and Kol wants to be an architect. Even though Mikael was always a lot more supportive to them, he still wanted them to be lawyers and carry on with the Mikaelson tradition. I think New York will be good for them.”

Caroline smiled and gave his hand a light squeeze.

“I’m just glad he can’t hurt you anymore.” She said before kissing him softly. Klaus wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He was glad too. The scars left by Mikael and all the damage done by his abuse would always stay with him, but now at least Klaus didn’t feel like he had to hide his past. Besides Caroline was sweet and caring, always kissed his scars and took the pain away.

After the kiss, Caroline chuckled lightly against his lips.

“I’ll be so jealous when they arrive, coz I don’t want to share you!”

Klaus laughed and tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“Let’s go away this weekend.” He suddenly said. “Come to my lake house, it will be just us.”

Caroline pursed her lips while thinking about it, which Klaus found adorable.

“Romantic weekend by the lake.” She said. “Sounds perfect!”

  


“Hey, Kat? I read your last article, it was great!” Lucy said from the door.

“I know, right? I feel like I’m saving lives!” Katherine said from behind her desk. Lucy laughed. Katherine’s fashion articles informed about the actual trends and predicted the future ones. Katherine herself started a few fashion trends as well. “Hey you wanna go out for lunch?”

Lucy shook her head.

“I can’t. Sorry! I’m interviewing some teen heartthrob about his new show. Looks like The CW is doing zombies now too.” Lucy said while making a face. Katherine picked up her purse and then she walked out her office. “Rain check?”

“Sure.” She said while calling the elevator. “If you hook up with this guy, I want all the naughty details.”

Lucy gasped.

“I’m offended! I’m a professional!” They looked at each other for a moment before they started laughing. The elevator’s door opened.

“Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“And what wouldn’t you do?” A deep voice said. Katherine turned and saw Elijah in the elevator, looking impeccable as usual and he had a cocky smile on his face.

“Elijah?” Katherine blinked. She was so surprised the doors started to close until Elijah stopped them.

“Katherine.” Elijah nodded. Katherine really wanted to wipe that smile off his face.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to see the floor above. It’s up for rent and since I’m planning on opening a new law firm I need a place to start.”

Katherine felt like someone just threw a bucket of cold water on her. But she quickly tried to regain her composure and stepped into the elevator. Elijah moved his arm away and the doors finally closed.

“I guess we’ll see each other once in a while then.” She commented before trying to look busy on her phone.

This guy… she really liked this guy, and just when she admitted it to herself, he went back to England. He never called, or texted, and to be honest she wasn’t expecting him to, but she couldn’t say his silence didn’t hurt her at least a little bit. With him back in USA, Katherine knew it would be harder to move on.

She saw Elijah’s hand moving to take her phone away from her hands, and then she felt his other hand lifting her chin.

“I was hoping we could see each other very often.” He said softly.

… And that’s the story of how Elijah and Katherine had scandalous sex in an elevator.

They barely made it to his hotel room without tearing each other’s clothes off, ready for round two.

Katherine tugged his tie to take it off while he lifted her to sit her on the table.

“I thought I would never see you again.” Katherine mumbled against his lips.

“I wanted to call, but we agreed it would only be a two-weeks-thing.” Elijah replied while stepping back and taking his jacket off.

“I think we passed the point where we call whatever this is a two-weeks-thing.” She said kicking her heels off. Elijah smiled and cupped her face in his hands. Just when he was about to kiss her there was a loud knock on the door. They both looked at the door and then at each other. They both shrugged and went back to what they were doing, only to be interrupted by another knock.

“Open up Elijah, I know you’re in there.” A female voice said.

“Who’s that?” Katherine whispered. Elijah had a frown on his face.

“I’m not sure…” He tried to fix his shirt before walking towards the door. When he opened it he found Tatia standing on the other side, one hand on the door frame and the other on her hip. He was so surprised to find her there, he was speechless.

“Surprise!” Tatia said with a big smile. “Looks like we’re staying at the same hotel, how crazy is that?”

Elijah narrowed his eyes.

“Too crazy to be coincidence.” He replied. Tatia rolled her eyes.

“I was on my way out when I saw you at the lobby, I swear.”

“And you had to follow me here?” Elijah asked.

“Is there something wrong with wanting to catch up with an old friend?”

“We weren’t that close to begin with, Tatia. And if you’re expecting me to put a good word for you to Niklaus then you’re wasting your time.”

Tatia smirked.

“Oh don’t worry about it. I’m over Nik already.” She stepped closer to him and fixed his tie, which was crocked due the heated make up session. Elijah stepped back.

“Tatia…” he said, losing his patient.

“Excuse me? Yeah, hi…” Katherine said as she stepped in, standing next to Elijah. There was nothing apologetic of sweet about her voice. “In case you haven’t noticed, Elijah is busy right now.”

Tatia looked at Katherine and back at Elijah with an eyebrow arched.

“Oh Elijah, you could do so much better…”

Katherine saw red.

“If you think that pretending I’m not here will get you anything, then you’re wrong. So take you filthy hands off my man and go back to wherever you came from. Trust me, you don’t want to cross me.” She said with a confident tone as she crossed her arms on her chest. “It’s bad enough that you almost ruin my best friend’s relationship with Klaus, but now you also wanna ruin mine with Elijah? That won’t end well for you. Oh and that outfit?...” She said looking at Tatia up and down. “It’s so 2010.”

And with that she shut the door on Tatia’s face.

“Bitch.” She mumbled.

Elijah cleared his throat awkwardly and placed a hand on the small of her back.

“Is it weird if I find you arousing when you’re mad?”

Katherine chuckled and played with his still crocked tie.

“Not at all…”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m visiting my family for a couple of weeks. Their net isn’t great so I might not be able to upload too often. If I can’t upload there I promise a bunch of characters when I get back in two weeks. Happy reading!
> 
> PS: This chapter contains smut. I dunno what the f*** came to me and made my write that part, but oh well, I hope you enjoy it.

The ride took a few hours but it was completely worth it. The lake house was beautiful! It was made of wood and looked so cozy, like those cabins in the fairy tales. Caroline looked at it in awe while she stood next to the car and Klaus unloaded the bags from the trunk. He mentioned it was small, just a little place where his siblings could crash during summer but it was perfect for the two of them.

“It’s nicer during spring and summer.” Klaus commented while walking towards the door. “Because of the cold, the garden doesn’t look too well.”

“I think it’s still beautiful.” Caroline said, keeping always a positive view. Klaus smiled and opened the door.

The inside was even cozier. There was a couch and a big furry rug in front of the fireplace, a library filled with books, a small yet modern kitchen and a spectacular view of the lake from the back yard.

Klaus took the bags to the second floor while Caroline placed all the food they brought in the kitchen, filling the fridge and the cupboards. Klaus then lit the fireplace and they cooked together.

After dinner they sat on the couch with a glass of wine. Klaus added more wood to the fire and moved the logs around to make the fire bigger.

“It should get warmer soon.” He commented while placing a blanket on Caroline’s legs.

“We can always keep each other warm.” She teased while leaning her head on his shoulder.

“I like the way you think.” Klaus said with a chuckle while caressing her hair. “I have something for you. I’ll go get it.” He kissed her forehead and walked upstairs.

Caroline loved surprises and she wasn’t very patient, but she waited on the couch, wrapping herself in the blanket like a giant burrito.

Klaus was so worried that Caroline would find the present he got her, he made sure to hide it very well in his suitcase. So it took a moment before he could find it, but when he did, he ran back downstairs, wanting to see her face when he gave it to her.

Caroline looked up at Klaus and then down to the little velvety box in his hand.

She knew what it was. Expensive jewelry.

“Ow Klaus, you didn’t have to. I feel bad now, I didn’t buy you anything.” She said taking the box. Klaus chuckled and sat next to her.

“I wasn’t expecting you to. This is a little thank you for all the times you were there for me. I thought of you when I saw it.”

Caroline opened the box and gasped. Inside there was a beautiful necklace of a snowflake. The chain was very simple, but the snowflake had a complex design and it was covered with little diamonds.

“I can’t take it.” Caroline whispered. Klaus’ smile dropped.

“Why not?”

“It must have been really expensive.”

Klaus took the necklace from the box and put it around Caroline’s neck before she could protest.

“What’s the point of coming from a wealthy family if I can’t spoil my girlfriend?”

Caroline looked down to the snowflake resting on her chest. It was beautiful. Klaus moved his hand around her neck once the necklace was secured and cupped her cheeks.

“Are you sure?” She asked looking at Klaus through her lashes. He smiled and nodded.

“Absolutely.”

Caroline smiled and leaned to kiss him.

“Thank you.”

Klaus was right, it got warmer soon enough. That night they made love on the rug in front of the fireplace.

 

The next day was Saturday. They made breakfast, walked around the lake holding hands and played some games, which leaded to Klaus finding out about Caroline’s competitive side. He would tease her about it forever. Klaus drew in his sketchbook while Caroline roasted marshmallows in the fireplace. She didn’t know but Klaus was drawing her.

They sat on the porch with cups of hot chocolate after dinner.

“Thanks for bringing me here.” Caroline said while resting her head on Klaus’ shoulder.

“It was my pleasure.” Klaus replied.

“I don’t think I want to go back to the city.” Caroline chuckled.

“If you stay, you’ll be missing your office and your job in less than a week.” He said and he was right.

“I know. But it’s so calm and beautiful out here.”

“We can always come back.” He said rubbing her arm. “I’ll bring you, whenever you want.”

“You spoil me.” She said rolling her eyes. Before Klaus could say something, she gasped and pointed out. “It's snowing!”

Klaus looked up and saw the little snowflakes fall from the sky.

While Klaus took the cups to the kitchen and washed them, Caroline rushed to their bedroom on the second floor. She took a small paper bag from her suitcase and locked herself in the bathroom where she could look at the content.

It was a white lacy nighty with matching thong and it was brand new.

 

“ _So when are you leaving?” Bonnie asked while looking through the racks._

“ _This Friday, we'll be back by Sunday evening.” Caroline replied._

“ _A whole weekend, the two of you alone, by the lake.” Bonnie sighed. “Sounds so romantic. I'm jealous.” She added with a pout. Caroline giggled but quickly stopped when she saw the sad look on Bonnie's face._

_Bonnie had just broken up with her long term boyfriend, Jeremy. They started dating during high school, but Bonnie moved to New York like most of her friends as soon as they graduated, while Jeremy had a scholarship in San Francisco. The distance grew and grew and it became more than just physical. Last time they saw each other they felt like strangers. It didn't help that Jeremy was Elena and Katherine's little brother. They had to tell Bonnie he already had another girlfriend, some chick named Anna. That really broke Bonnie's heart._

“ _I'm so sorry Bon.” Caroline said rubbing her friend's arm in a comforting gesture._

“ _It's fine.” Bonnie said with a shrug. “Let's focus on getting you something sexy for you to surprise your man.” she added, quickly changing the mood. “A romantic weekend is a special occasion and every girl needs to be ready for those.” Bonnie said with a wink._

_Caroline looked around the Victoria's secret store with a frown. While Tyler always loved seeing her in lingerie, she wasn't so sure what Klaus' thought were in the matter. Their relationship just started to get physical. Their honeymoon stage had just begun. He had seen her underwear before, he had seen her completely naked too, but she still wanted do make a good impression. Just the thought of it made her nervous._

“ _It doesn't have to be... you know... super slutty.” Bonnie said, seeing and knowing the look on Caroline's face. “What about a nighty? It leaves just enough to the imagination...”_

_The nighties and the teddies were really nice. Some where see through, some others were sexy as hell. The girls went through the racks looking for something that Caroline could wear. It had to be sexy, but comfortable for Caroline to wear and hopefully something that Klaus would like._

“ _What about this one?” Bonnie asked while lifting a hanger with a white nighty. Caroline blinked and pursed her lips. Sure, it was sexy, but there was something about the color._

“ _White?... doesn't it look too...”_

“ _Pure?.. yeah.”_

“ _I don't know. I'm not some virgin.” Caroline said with a chuckle._

“ _I know, but doesn't he call you snowflake?” Bonnie asked. “Think about it.”_

_She didn't need to think about it. She was sure Klaus would love it._

Caroline lifted the nighty from the paper bag and took a deep breath.

“Come on, Forbes. You can do this.”

 

Klaus made sure every door and window were locked and he made sure the smoke detector was on since the logs were still burning in the fireplace. Everything was good so he could go to bed. When he walked into the room, he took his shirt and shoes off and sat down on the bed, waiting for Caroline to come out of the bathroom.

Caroline opened the door and walked into the bedroom. She stopped when she saw Klaus sitting on the bed. Klaus looked up at her and his body went rigid. He sat up straight and clenched his jaw. His reaction was nothing like what Caroline hoped to be. She even thought he was angry. But truth is, Klaus was just surprised. Shocked, actually. Caroline looked like the perfect combination between purity and sensuality. Her long legs looked creamy and disappeared under the lace, her breasts were partly exposed and looked perky thanks to bra support included in the nighty. Her cheeks were pink because the flush. She looked like an angel. An angel sexy as hell that could make any man commit many sins, but an angel nevertheless.

Just when Caroline started playing nervously with the hem of the nighty, Klaus got up from the bed, took two big and firm steps towards her and kissed her. He kissed her hard, almost painfully. One arm moved around her waist, while his other hand gripped the hair on the back of her head.

The air left Caroline's lungs when Klaus pinned her against the wall and attacked her neck with open mouthed kisses. She panted and gripped his shirt for support.

“You look so innocent, so pure...” Klaus said in a low, husky tone. “I almost feel guilty for wanting to fuck you so bad... almost.”

Caroline was at a loss for words. Klaus had never been so sexually aggressive with her. He was always slow and tender. He was always very shy with her. But that didn't mean she didn't enjoy hearing him talk like that.

“Fuck me, then.” She whispered. Klaus moved from her neck so he could look at her. His eyes were darkened by lust. “Fuck me hard.”

Klaus growled lowly and took her away the wall. He made her look at herself in the mirror on the vanity while he stood behind her.

“You look ravishing.” Klaus whispered against her ear while one hand sneaked around her hip and reached her center. Caroline closed her eyes and moaned when she felt his digits caress her though the thin fabric of the thong. Klaus kissed her neck and shoulder while his free hand pulled down the straps of her nighty.

After a moment he put some space between them so he could pull down the nighty and undress her. Caroline blushed a little bit more when she saw her reflection on the mirror, wearing nothing but a small thong. Klaus pressed himself against her back and his hands cupped her breasts. He squeezed them and pinched the nipples playfully between his index fingers and thumps.

Caroline leaned against him, moaning more and more. She couldn't help but rub her ass against his crotch. Sadly he was still wearing his jeans, but Klaus still felt it. The teasing was painful yet so delicious.

Klaus growled again and bent her over the vanity. He moved his hand down her smooth back to her thong and then slid it down her legs slowly. Caroline whimpered in advance when Klaus spread her legs. He slid one finger inside her, then another, while his other hand held her by her hip. Caroline rocked her hips against his fingers, wanting more.

“You're so wet, Caroline.” Klaus said with the same husky voice. Caroline whimpered again.

“Fuck, I want you Klaus.”

Klaus pulled out his fingers and undid his pants, his eyes locking with Caroline's through the mirror. When he pushed his jeans and boxers down, Caroline straightened and turned around. Their lips met again for another hard kiss. His hands moved to her hips and pushed her against the vanity. She sat on it and opened her legs for him. Klaus' body fit perfectly between them.

Caroline let out a loud moan when she felt Klaus' hard cock sinking into her flesh. Klaus thrusted hard and fast into her. She wrapped her legs and arms around him, pulling him closer, her fingernails scratching his shoulder blades. Klaus had one hand tangled in her hair and the other on the small of her back.

They moaned, kissed and even bit each other. They fucked, they cursed and they came.

Klaus had his face buried against the crock of Caroline's neck. They were both breathless and panting. Klaus picked her up against his chest and carried her to the bed. She giggled when he dropped her on the mattress and then dropped himself next to her. He started kissing her shoulder, her chest and her belly. Caroline giggled again, this time because his lips tickled her.

“What are you doing?” She asked, running a hand through his hair.

“I'm loving your body.” He replied while caressing every inch of skin he could reach.

Caroline smiled. The gesture was so sweet and tender, it was hard to believe they just had rough sex.

“I love you Klaus.” She whispered. Klaus looked up at her and smiled.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

 

Waking up with a boner is awkward, but waking up with a hot blonde provoking it is an entirely different story.

That Sunday morning they stayed in bed for hours, just touching, kissing, fucking. They only left the bed when Caroline's stomach started to grow. They agreed that she would make breakfast while he took a shower.

Caroline turned a little radio on and danced along the music while making pancakes, that's why she didn't hear the car pulling over outside or the door being open. She almost had a heart attack when she heard a voice behind her.

“Oh wow...”

Caroline turned to see a young man leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed on his chest and a smirk on his face.

“When I told Nik I was expecting a welcome home party, I didn't mean this.” He looked at her up and down. “I'm not complaining though.”

Caroline looked down and blushed. She was only wearing her panties and one of Klaus' shirt.

“You're a brat!” A female voice called out. “You left us to deal with the suitcases...” A pretty blonde walked in and stopped talking when she saw Caroline. She blinked a couple of times before turning around. “ELIJAH!”

“Oh god.. no...” Caroline even considered jumping out of the window and run.

“What is it, sister?” Elijah asked while stepping in as well. He froze when he saw Caroline standing there. “Miss Forbes...” He mumbled clearly embarrassed.

“Um hi...” She said shyly.

“You know her?” The other guy asked. Elijah nodded and cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Is Niklaus here too?” He asked.

“Yeah, he's upstairs. I'll go get him.” She said, but no one moved away from the door.

“How rude of us! We haven't been introduced.” The other guy said. “This is Rebekah.” He pointed out to the blonde girl. “And I'm Kol.” He said taking Caroline's hand and kissing her knuckles. “At your service.” He added with a wink.

“Kol....” Elijah called annoyed. “Leave your brother's girlfriend alone.”

Kol opened his eyes widely.

“Now now Elijah, I'm just being polite.” He turned to Caroline smirked. “And you are way out of my brother's league.”

“Dear lord, Kol.” Rebekah said while rubbing her forehead. “You're gonna scare the girl away.”

“What's going on?” Everyone turned around to see Klaus walking down the stairs. When he saw his siblings standing there and Caroline half naked he froze. “What are you doing here?”

“Isn't he always so welcoming?” Kol asked sarcastically.

“They arrived early and we still haven't find an apartment to stay so we thought we would stay here.” Elijah explained. “We didn't know you and Miss Forbes would be here.” He said apologetically.

“I-I'm gonna go get dressed...” Caroline mumbled awkwardly before running upstairs.

Klaus sighed, thinking he would have to apologize big time for it. When he turned, he found his siblings staring at him.

“Well done brother!” Kol said while giving Klaus thumps up.

 

**Somewhere far away, in the city**

“I'm telling you Bonnie, centuries ago the Bennet name was feared by many.” Sheila said through the phone. “And with good reason! The Bennets were powerful!”

Bonnie chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“Sure grams.”

She didn't believe any of it, but she would always listen to her grandma ramble about how her ancestors were powerful witches. Truly, her bloodline did come from Salem and there were legends about the Bennet, but she knew those were just old stories.

After the phone call, Bonnie went back to reading her book while sitting next to window. But she couldn't focus, her mind was somewhere else.

The idea of having everything she wanted by just wishing it or doing some spell was appealing, of course. If she could actually snap her fingers and get something, she wished she could have what her friends had. Elena had Stefan and Caroline had Klaus. They both had a nice guy that care about them. She couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous.

And the idea of having a good looking British gentleman as boyfriend sounded good, really good. She closed her eyes and wished for it, even though she giggled at the end, thinking she was being silly.

 

**Back at the lake house**

The Mikaelson and Caroline sat around the table, eating the pancakes Caroline made and drinking tea. It was a little awkward at first, but Caroline was a very sociable person and soon enough Rebekah and Kol started to like her.

Kol watched looked at Klaus hand holding Caroline's over the table. Elijah had praised Caroline ever since he returned to England, saying she was just what Klaus needed. Kol couldn't understand how Elijah was so sure since he barely knew the girl, but when he saw the way they looked at each other he knew Elijah was right. In fact, he wanted the same for himself.

He cleared his throat and looked at Caroline.

“Caroline, darling... you wouldn't have some single friends, would you?”

  



	16. Chapter 16

Finding a decent apartment in New York was hard. Money never was an issue before, but since college would cost her and she wanted her independence, Rebekah had to be wise with her expenses. Luckily she managed to get a job soon after she arrived. She had good references as a fashion model, and Katherine managed to pull some strings at the magazine.

Still, she needed an apartment. Klaus' apartment was small and she didn't want to intrude in his time with Caroline more than needed. Meanwhile Elijah's apartment was okay for two people, but Kol already settled in and there is no way in hell that Rebekah is sharing a bedroom with him. So she would stay at the lake house most of the time, but she would hang out in Klaus' apartment during the day since he was her favorite brother. Still she was eager to get a place on her own, or at least with a roommate that wasn't a completely psycho.

When she arrived to the apartment she found Klaus reading on the couch.

“You look well dressed tonight.” She commented before plugging her camera to her laptop.

“I'm going out with Caroline and her friends. She wants to know if you would like to come along.” He said looking up from his book.

“Where are you all going?” Rebekah asked while tilting her head. It sounded like a good idea.

“It's just a little bar she and her friends usually hang out, nothing too fancy.” Klaus replied.

Rebekah wanted to make friends since she got there. She never had many friends because mostly of her school mates considered her a rich brat. Maybe it was because she always tried really hard to make a good impression. But in America, she had a new chance and a fresh start. Thankfully, Caroline turned out to be a lot better than Tatia, and Rebekah was glad that she was dating Klaus. She was friendly and tried to include her and Kol in their plans, to Klaus' annoyance.

“Sure, sounds like fun.”

 

 

“Well look at that!” Katherine said with her signature smirk while she took a closer look to the snowflake hanging from Caroline's neck. “He's giving you jewelry already! Before we know it there will be a ring in your finger!” She joked.

“God no, it's way too soon to make those jokes.” Caroline said while taking a seat at the booth the girls picked.

She barely stepped into the bar when Katherine and Bonnie ambushed her with questions about her weekend with Klaus. Between Klaus' siblings and all the work she had, she didn't have a chance to talk to her friends during the week. Elena was the only one with a full update, just because they worked together.

“Klaus has been in a really good mood.” Stefan commented. He was sitting next to Elena with his arm around her shoulders. “I take it the weekend went well? He didn't say much.”

“It was great, the house was cozy and beautiful. To my embarrassment his siblings showed up while I cooked breakfast in Klaus' shirt.” Caroline said making a face. Everyone laughed and she blushed.

A waiter came to the table and placed some drinks. Caroline was surprised to see a different waiter, since they were at their usual table in Matt's section. Everyone shared an awkward look and Caroline put the pieces together.

“He asked someone to take care of this table, didn't he?”

“Can you blame him?” Katherine asked. “I never saw those blue eyes being so sad!” She sighed and then jumped on her seat. “OUCH! Why did you kick me?” She asked to her sister. Elena gave her a look and then turned to Caroline.

“Don't be too hard on yourself, alright? Just give him time.”

Caroline nodded and sighed. She had to talk to Matt at some point. Klaus wasn't there yet and Matt wasn't too busy behind the bar, so she got up and walked towards him.

“Hey.” She said shyly. Mat looked up at her and back to the glass he was cleaning.

“Hey.” He said simply.

“I wanted to apologize for snapping at you the other day.” Caroline started.

“Apology accepted, although I'm sure that's not what you want to apologize for.” Matt was right. Caroline wanted to apologize for hurting him, for not feeling the same way he did, but it wasn't her fault. People can't choose the person they like or love. And she wasn't going to apologize for loving Klaus.

“You're right.” She said after a moment. “I'm sorry I hurt you. I hope we can still be friends.” She really couldn't imagine her life with Matt. He had been a really awesome friend, specially after everything that happened with Tyler.

“I don't know, Care. It's hard for me. I always wanted to be more than your friend, and being any less than that hurts.” Matt replied. “Perhaps one day. I need to move on first.”

Caroline understood that.

“Alright then. I'll give you your space and your time. But that doesn't mean I won't miss you.” She smiled. For a second there Matt smiled too, but when he looked up over her shoulder, his smile dropped again.

“Your boyfriend is here.” He mumbled and turned to go back to work.

Caroline sighed and turned around, but when she saw Klaus making his way to the table where her friends were, she couldn't help but smile.

Rebekah was there too and knowing she was still shy, Katherine started a conversation with her right away.

Klaus and Caroline met halfway between the bar and the table. Klaus didn't wait for the “hello”, he just kissed her.

“Oh...” Caroline giggled after the kiss. “Hi.”

“Hello love.” Klaus smiled. “How was your day?”

“It was okay, really busy. And yours?”

“I started a couple of paintings for Mason.” He replied with a shrug.

“Any news from Elijah?” Caroline asked and Klaus nodded.

“Yes, the trial will be next week. Elijah will be there with our eldest brother Finn.”

“You're not going...” Caroline said confused. 

“I'm not needed there.” Klaus replied shaking his head. Rebekah and Kol could tag along with Elijah, but Mikael would bring a lot of attention from the press and papers. Keeping the youngest siblings in America was the right way to protect them.

By the time they walked back to their table, Rebekah was telling the others how hard it was to find a good place to live.

“... The last place was filled with cockroaches!” She said while making a face. “I'm staying at the lake house, but it's a few ours outside the city, and once I start college I need a place in the city.”

“What will your major be?” Elena asked.

“Photography.” Rebekah replied.

“That explains it.” Katherine chipped in. “I was told you were snooping around the cameras during the last photo shoot!” She chuckled.

“Just because I was modeling doesn't mean I couldn't learn some more.” Rebekah said with a shrug.

“You know, I'm thinking about getting a roommate.” Bonnie suddenly said. “I haven't posted any adds yet, maybe you could come and check the apartment out.” She offered.

The look on Rebekah's face was priceless. Her eyes lit up and she smiled widely.

“Yes! Thank you! I would really like that.” 

After a moment Stefan turned to Klaus.

“Where are Kol and Elijah? I thought they would be joining us. Besides, I thought Kol never missed the chance to party.” He chuckled.

“Kol has an appointment in the morning, he's taking a tour around campus before classes start, and Elijah is busy with Mikael's case.” Klaus replied.

“How is that going?”

“It's... complicated. He's flying to England this weekend.”

“Ugh don't even mention it.” Katherine groaned.

“Awe you miss him already, don't you?” Caroline teased. Katherine just rolled her eyes. The fact that she didn't have a comeback meant Caroline was right.

A couple of hours passed and they still had topics to talk about. Rebekah and Bonnie exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet during the week. Caroline was happy to be there with all her friends and have the chance to catch up while Klaus was just glad to be there without panicking. He was getting used to be around people and Caroline was slowly getting him to come out of his shell.

They were getting ready to leave when Rebekah decided to use the little girls' room. When she walked out of the bathroom she bumped into a big hard wall and stumbled backwards. When she looked up she realized it wasn't a wall, but one of the busboys.

Not just any busboy, but the hottest busboy in the world.

“I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there.” the busboy said. “Are you okay?”

Rebekah blinked a couple of times, still taking in his good looks.

“Oh! Yes, I'm okay. Sorry, I'm very clumsy.” She chuckled.

“Bekah, you left your phone on the table.” Caroline said while approaching them. 

Matt and Caroline looked at each other confused.

“Do you know each other?” Matt asked pointing both girls.

“Yes, she's Klaus' sister.” Caroline replied.

“Does Klaus' sister have a name?” Matt asked to Rebekah with a chuckle.

“Rebekah.” She said extending her hand.

“Pleasure, I'm Matt.” He shook her hand and smiled.

Caroline looked back and forth between Matt and Rebekah before deciding to step back and leave the two of them alone.

“Is everything okay between you and Matt?” Elena asked while Stefan helped her put her coat on.

“Oh yeah, in fact I think he'll be over me very soon.” She said glancing back to Rebekah.

 

Caroline laid on her side, her head resting on Klaus' chest. He had both arms wrapped around her lazily, one hand stroking her arm up and down lightly. She sighed happily while tracing his feather tattoo with her fingertip.

“Rebekah looked happy tonight.” Klaus said softly. “Thank you for making her feel part of the group.”

“It's nothing, I just thought she could use some friends. I'm glad she and Bonnie got along right away, and Katherine likes teasing and bickering with her, but that's actually a good sign.” she chuckled.

“Bekah never had many friends. I was hoping that would change here.” Klaus said, then lifted Caroline's face with his finger under her chin. “You're a really good person, Caroline.”

Caroline chuckled bitterly.

“You should have seen me in high school. I was a queen bee, you wouldn't have liked me at all.” She said.

“You've grown, became a better person. You make me better too, I feel like I've changed too. I'm not so nervous or scared anymore. And I'm not embarrassed of saying I used to be scared either.”

“I'm glad you're not. I'm glad you're safe now. I'm surprised you're not going to England with Elijah, but at the same time I feel relieved.” She commented.

“England is filled with bad memories. I miss Finn of course, but I don't have a good relationship with my mother.”

“Why is that?”

“Well... she knew I was a bastard all these years and never said anything. She never stopped Mikael's abuse. I might have been a bastard to him, but I was still Esther's blood. I'm still her son, yet she never treated me like one. In a way, I understand Mikael's hate towards me. I don't defend his actions, but I do understand why he never treated me like a son. But Esther is different, she is my biological mother.” Klaus explained. Caroline nodded and bit her lower lip.

“Have you thought about your biological father? Maybe you could find him...”

“I've been let down by two parents, I don't think I could manage being disappointed once again.”

Caroline nodded again. She leaned up, resting her weight on her elbow so she could look at him better.

“I never told you about my parents.” She said. Klaus raised his eyebrows.

“I assumed you had a happy family.”

Caroline scoffed.

“I wish! Nothing compared to you, but we weren't the Brady bunch either. My dad came out of the closet when I was five. Imagine that! He left my mom for another man. I come from a small town so you can imagine how scandalous it was. Everyone talked about it. My dad didn't deal with any of it, since he moved out right away with his boyfriend Steve. But my mom and I stayed. My mom was a deputy back then and she busied herself with her work. I think she was trying to distract herself from the humiliation, but she also forgot about me. I had to make my own breakfast and dinner. She never picked me up after class so I would go to Elena or Bonnie's house. Bonnie's grandma, Sheila, practically raised me.”

In the middle of her story, Klaus sat up on the bed and leaned on the headboard. He pulled Caroline closer to him and let her rest her head on his shoulder while she spoke.

“When I started high school I was desperate for attention. I made many mistakes, dated the wrong guys, joined every club I could and even became captain of the cheer leading squad, but I never got a reaction from my mom. I wasn't grounded when I screwed things up, but she never gave me encouraging words or congratulated me when I did something good either. She wasn't even there when I was crowned Miss Mystic Falls.” She said sadly.

“Something good came out of all that.” Klaus said. Caroline looked up at him and tilted her head. He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. “You became a strong and beautiful woman.” He said stroking her cheek. “Maybe we're both damaged, we both were neglected by people that we loved or were supposed to be there for us, but together I think we make quite a pair.”

Caroline smiled widely and then kissed him.

“You're right. We make each other better.”

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded chapter 16 and 17 the same day, so before you read this chapter make sure you've read chapter 16.

Saturday morning and you expect everyone to stay in bed and sleep. And that's exactly what Kol wanted to do but Rebekah needed help moving into Bonnie's apartment. Her bed arrived the day before but it still needed to be assembled. Her train was running late so Kol decided to start without her. He picked up some of her things from Klaus' and took a cab to Bonnie's. He made a mental note to remind himself to learn how to drive on the other side of the road. He really wanted to get a car for himself.

When he arrived to Bonnie's he knocked the door many times but no one opened the door. He thought Bonnie was probably out so he used Rebekah's keys and walked in. Finding Rebekah's bedroom wasn't a hard task, it was the nearly empty room with the door open. He put down the boxes and looked around the room.

Something heavy hit him in the back of his head. He stumbled forwards and landed on the floor. He turned around and blinked many times. He was seeing double.

“Who are you and what are you doing in my house?!” Bonnie asked.

“Bloody hell, woman! What did you hit me with?” Kol asked while rubbing the back of his head. 

“My Biology book! Now answer to me!” She yelled while lifting her book to hit him again.

“I'm Rebekah's brother! I'm here to assemble her furniture!” He blinked a few more times and finally stopped seeing double. He looked at the girl in front of him and he was thunderstruck. She was gorgeous. Smooth dark skin, green eyes, black hair, petite figure. Her hands looked tiny while holding that big and heavy book.

“You're Rebekah's brother?” Bonnie mumbled confused. “Oh god, I'm so sorry, I thought you were a burglar!” She put down the book and helped him get up.

“I knocked many times but no one opened so I used Bekah's keys.” He explained.

“I was sleeping.” Bonnie said.

Kol pulled his hand from the back of his head and saw a red spot.

“I-Is that blood?” He mumbled. Suddenly the room started spinning.

The next thing he knew, he was laying on the couch. Bonnie knelt on the floor in front of him and held a towel against the back of his head.

“Good, you're awake.” She said softly. “I'm so sorry about the book.” She took the towel away and placed a bag of ice.

“It's okay. I'm glad to know my sister will be staying with someone so brave.” Kol replied. He held the bag of ice against his head and Bonnie moved her hand away.

“You didn't bleed much, and I don't think you have a concussion. But just to be sure, you should stay here and not move for a couple of hours.” Bonnie said. Kol smirked.

“Are you my nurse now? Because I like that.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes.

“No silly, I'm a pre med.”

“That explains the bizarrely big book.” Kol joked. “I'm Kol.”

“Bonnie.”

“I must say, Bonnie, you made quite the impression. Do you always hit strangers with books?” Kol asked.

“Hey you're the one that broke into my apartment!” Bonnie defended herself.

“I have a key so technically I didn't break in.” They started laughing at the situation. “You're feisty, I like that.” Kol said with a flirty smirk. Bonnie smiled back and blushed.

Then they talked for a while and when Kol felt better he started working on Rebekah's bed. Bonnie brought him lemonade when she thought he could use a break.

By the time Kol left the apartment that evening he already had asked her out on a date.

 

 

That Monday the trial against Mikael started at 9am in England. Klaus spent the night before at at Giuseppe Salvatore's house. The trial would be on TV, followed by the CNN. and since England is in a different time zone, it would start at 4am in New York. Stefan, Damon and Marcel stayed there too, wanting to give their support to Klaus. They even made it look like some sort of movie night. They played pool and ordered pizza, by the time it was 4am, Marcel was half asleep on the couch, Damon had pop corn ready for the “show” and Stefan was making their third jar of coffee. Marcel's band played at night, while Stefan and Damon managed their clients any time of the day so they didn't have to work early unless it was necessary, so they all stayed up for it.

Finn and Esther appeared in the screen. There was a camera following them while they took their seat in the court. Rose and Trevor, representing the law firm, sat in the front, separated from Mikael and his lawyer, some guy that Klaus didn't recognize. Meanwhile Elijah sat not far away from them. He worked on the case against Mikael, but since he and Finn were related to him, they weren't supposed to participate.

The trial consisted basically in the lawyers reading numbers and documents. Mikael defended himself, but even his arguments weren't enough to defend his actions. At the end it was stated that Mikael stole 750.000 dollars in the last ten years.

Elijah was called to testify, since he was the one that gathered all the evidence. He explained how he found out about the frauds and how he dealed with the costumers Mikael stole from. Even though many costumers left the firm after that, the judge considered the name of “Mikaelson and sons' law firm” cleaned.

By the time they concluded with the case, it was 9am in New York. Klaus was biting his nails. The judge started reading the conclusions and the sentence, which consisted in some fines that Mikael had to pay and some paper work the law firm had to do. At the end, the judge reached the part everyone was waiting for.

Mikael got 12 years of jail.

“Oh man, I lost the bet.” Marcel mumbled. “I was sure he would get more than 15.”

“Pay up, Gerard.” Damon said with a smirk while extending his hand. Marcel pulled out his wallet and gave him a 50 dollars bill.

Klaus felt something on his shoulder. He turned to see Stefan smiling at him.

“He won't bother you for a long time.” 

Klaus smiled and nodded. He never felt so relieved in his life. He felt safe, knowing Mikael would spend the next years behind bars.

Looking back at the screen he saw Mikael. He had his jaw and fists clenched, he was clearly pissed. Klaus knew he was trying to look strong, still undefeated, as if spending 12 years in jail wasn't much.

Klaus didn't feel bad for him at all.

 

They all agreed they would celebrate that weekend at Giuseppe's house, since he had room enough for everyone and Damon was dying to use the BBQ and have some stake in the backyard. They said good bye and each one went home.

Even though Rebekah and Kol were sad to know their father was sentenced to jail, they still couldn't blame anyone but Mikael himself. They watched him hit Klaus and abuse him for years. They knew Mikael was a cruel man, he never treated his wife right and no matter what they did, he would never be proud of them.

When Finn started a relationship with a young but beautiful woman named Sage, he and Mikael started fighting more and more. Said relationship wasn't approved by Mikael, and that leaded to Finn being forced to leave his own home. To this day Finn and Sage are married and have two kids. Mikael didn't attend to their wedding.

Because of all that Kol and Rebekah decided to stay strong and be there for Klaus. So when Klaus walked into his apartment, he was greeted by his siblings and his girlfriend. They had lunch together and toasted for their new start in America.

At some point Caroline pulled him closer and Klaus instantly wrapped his arms around her waist. He soaked in the feeling of having her in his arms, her hands stroking his hair. He heard her whispering encouraging words between kisses on his cheek.

“Thanks for being here.” He said. She smiled and shrugged.

“Don't thank me. Your siblings insisted.”

 

 

That night Klaus' phone went off on his bedside table. He tapped his hand on the table while looking for the phone in the dark.

“Hello?” He asked sleepily.

“Niklaus, it's me.” Elijah said.

“Elijah?” Klaus looked at the clock next his lamp. “It's 1am, what is it?”

“I apologize for calling at this time, but this is... important.”

Klaus sat up on the bed. Caroline, who had been sleeping next to him, had rolled over and was rubbing her eyes.

“What is it?” Klaus asked.

“Mikael's health condition wasn't what we thought. We were working on the details to have him moved to the HM Prision Belmarsh when he had a heart attack.” Elijah explained.

Klaus frowned and Caroline sat next to him. She was frowning too.

“He didn't make it.” Elijah concluded. It took Klaus a few seconds to understand what Elijah was telling him. He hung up the phone and looked at Caroline.

“Mikael is dead.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters: The Mikaelson go to England.
> 
> Caroline meets Esther.
> 
> Klaus finds out more about his roots.
> 
>  
> 
> Don't forget to REVIEW! Also, follow me on Tumbler, I'm marianita195


	18. Chapter 18

Everything was a blur. After Elijah's phone call, Klaus called Kol and Rebekah while Caroline bought some plane tickets online. Rebekah cried at the news while Kol just complained about Mikael dodging jail. Klaus didn't think Kol was funny at all. When he was done with the phone calls he pulled out his suitcase from the closet and Caroline walked into his bedroom with a notepad.

“I booked you three tickets to London City Airport. It leaves in three hours.” 

Klaus nodded and started throwing some clothes in the suitcase. He was clearly making a mess but his hands were shaky and his head was somewhere else. Caroline placed her hand on his arm and stopped him.

“Why don't you go get your things from the bathroom while I pack your clothes?” She said softly. Klaus nodded again and walked to the bathroom. Luckily Caroline was extra organized and managed to pack Klaus' clothes perfectly. She made sure to add a black suit for the funeral, his phone charger and even his sketchbook, in case he felt like drawing. She knew drawing would relax him. Klaus walked back in with his things in a small bag. He sat down on the bed and watched while Caroline took care of his suitcase.

“Thank you.” He said softly. “You just jumped into action and solved half of my problems.”

Caroline shook her head.

“It's the least I could do. I wish I could come with you, but...” She said sadly.

“But you have work to do here.” He finished. “I won't lie to you, having you there would be very helpful, but I understand.” He said. Caroline walked to him and cupped his face.

“You can call me whenever you want. If things get rough or you feel like you can't breath, I want you to call me.” 

Klaus smiled and pulled her closer, making her sit on his lap.

“I will, sweetheart.” He said kissing her cheek.

“I'm gonna miss you.” Caroline whispered with a cute pout.

“We'll make it up for the lost time when I come back. I won't be away for too long.” He reassured her and kissed her pout. “I should get going, I have to pick Kol and Rebekah up on my way to the airport. Rebekah sounded really upset and I think Kol was upset too. He was just trying to stay strong.”

Caroline nodded.

“I wouldn't expect anything else, they lost someone important to them. Luckily they still have their older brothers looking after them.” She said stroking Klaus' cheek. “I should go home now.”

Klaus looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was 2 am.

“I'm not letting you go home alone at this hour. I'll drive you there.”

 

When Caroline arrived to agency that morning Elena was waiting for her.

“Elijah gave Katherine the news this morning. How is Klaus holding up?” Elena asked.

“I'm not sure. To be honest I don't think Klaus himself knows how to feel about this.” Caroline replied with a sigh before sitting behind her desk. “He wasn't really... fond of Mikael.” She said, trying to find the right words to describe their relationship.

“Stefan told me about what a horrible father Mikael was to Klaus. I wouldn't blame him if he felt relieved, even glad. I know someone's death isn't a reason to be happy, I'm just saying...” Elena shrugged, trying to finish her sentence.

“That Klaus has no real reason to be upset, because he didn't lose someone he loved?” Caroline finished and Elena nodded. “But he does have a reason. His siblings. Knowing Mikael was going to jail was hard enough for them, but his death was too much, specially for the youngest ones.” Caroline explained. “I think Klaus is mostly upset for them.”

“Elijah was upset and worried about them too. Katherine wanted to take the next plane to England and be with him but first she needed to let her boss know she would be gone for a few days.”

Caroline sighed.

“I wanna be there too.” She groaned and leaned her head on her desk.

“Be where?” Alaric asked when he stepped into their office.

Caroline and Elena looked at each other awkwardly.

“England.” Caroline replied. “My boyfriend's father died and he had to fly there this morning.”

Alaric frowned.

“Why didn't just call and let us know you would be taking some days off?” He asked.

“I wasn't sure you would be okay with that...” Caroline said confused. “We have to present the idea for the tooth paste commercial next week.”

Alaric nodded and thought in silence for a moment.

“We can handle the meeting with the clients on our own. Just take your laptop with you, work on the campaign from England and email it to me before this Friday.” He said with a shrug. Caroline got up from her chair.

“Really? Oh my god, thank you so much Rick!!!!” She jumped and hugged her boss, then jumped back, clearly embarrassed. “Sorry!”

Alaric laughed.

“It's fine, you just go and be there for him.”

“Thank you thank you thank you!!” Caroline bounced on her spot even after Alaric left the office. Elena laughed and pulled out her phone.

“I better let Katherine know she needs to book another ticket.”

 

Klaus looked outside the window. London was covered by snow and it looked beautiful. He wished Caroline could be there and see it for herself. He sighed and turned his head to the other side. Elijah was sitting next to him, driving. He looked to the back seat and saw Kol looking out the window absently and Rebekah sleeping with her head on Kol's shoulder.

Looking back to the road, Klaus yawned, he barely had any sleep the night before and only slept a couple of hours in the plane. He felt exhausted.

“When's the funeral?” He asked.

“Tomorrow's afternoon.” Elijah replied. “Finn is making the last few arrangement before going home.” Klaus frowned.

“I didn't know it would take so long.” He said confused.

“The judge that dictated Mikael's sentence asked for an autopsy.” Elijah said. Klaus frowned even more.

“What for? He died of a heart attack.”

“A man who stole thousands and is probably hated by half of the nation, gets sentenced to 12 years in prison and dies before he even sets a foot in jail. Sounds more than a coincidence to me.”

“You think he killed himself?” Klaus asked. Elijah sighed and nodded.

“He wouldn't be the first time man poisons himself to avoid jail.”

“Mikael was a lot of things, but he wasn't a coward.” Klaus mumbled.

Despite Klaus and Mikael hated each other and despite Mikael never was a really good father, he wasn't horrible to Rebekah and Kol. He did care for his family, maybe a little bit too much, which made him over protective. Killing himself and leaving his family alone didn't sound like Mikael's doing.

“That's what mother said.” Elijah commented.

“How is she, by the way?”

“Devastated... She lost her husband.” Elijah frowned for a moment. “It's amazing how a person's death can make people's view change completely. She was ready to divorce him and go away while he stayed in jail, but then he died and now she's a poor sad widow.” He said shaking his head.

Klaus hadn't seen his mother in four years. He really didn't know how to feel. He had been avoiding this for years and now he was back in England and he would see her again, like it or not. By the time Elijah pulled over, Klaus' stomach was tied in knots.

 

They still lived in the same big manor and it was just like Klaus' remembered it. When they walked in, the smell and the furniture made a lot of memories come rushing back to the surface. Klaus tried not to think in all the bad things that house reminded him of and made his way to the third floor where his bedroom used to be. He imagined it had been turned into a guest room by then, but when he opened the door he was shocked. The room looked exactly like it did when he left to America, except the bed was made and a couple of Klaus' paintings were hanging on the walls.

Klaus dropped his suitcase and walked around the room. He ran his fingers on the spines of the books in his bookshelves and picked up a scale model of a plane he built when he was younger.

“You came.” A voice said. Klaus turned around and saw his mother standing beside the door. He put down the plane and nodded.

“My siblings needed me.” He said and looked around the room once again. “Nothing has changed.”

“I kept the room the way it was when you left. I was hoping you would come back.” Esther explained. “I even turned one of the rooms into an art studio.” She said. Klaus felt like she was making a peace offering. He sighed and shook his head.

“All these years you knew why Mikael hated me and you didn't say anything.” Klaus started. His voice was calm and slow, but only because he was too tired to fight. “You watched while he hit me and yelled at me and never did anything to stop him.”

“I'm so sorry Niklaus.” Esther said stepping closer. She clearly wanted to hug him, but he stepped back.

“I'm exhausted. I need some sleep before the funeral.” He said walking around her to get his suitcase.

Esther took a breath and walked out of the room.

Klaus sat down on his old bed and pulled out his phone. He needed to let Caroline know that they landed and were home already.

“Hello!” She said when she picked up. Klaus couldn't help but smile. Her voice always calmed him down.

“Hello sweetheart.” He said softly.

“Klaus, hi! Did you guys make it okay?”

“Yes, we arrived home not long ago. I'm about to go to bed, I barely had any sleep today.” He said rubbing his eyes.

“I know. How is everyone there?”

“I haven't seen Finn yet. Kol and Rebekah were quiet most of the flight and Elijah looks like he hasn't sleep in days.” He wasn't sure if he should tell her about Esther or not, but he didn't want to lie to her. “I saw my mother, but you can imagine this isn't the right moment for some “healing time” with her. I'm not sure I'm ready for that.”

“There will be time for that after the funeral.” Caroline said. Klaus smiled at her positive view of things. Klaus knew she thought he could still fix things with Esther, even though Caroline never said it out loud. If it was up to her, she would have fixed everything by now.

“I miss you, love.” He whispered.

“Aww...” Klaus could imagine Caroline blushing on the other side of the phone. “Well you won't have to miss me for too long. Alaric allowed me to take a few days off and since Katherine is on her way to see Elijah I'm tagging along.” She said. “But don't tell Elijah, she wants to surprise him!” She giggled.

Klaus smiled and laid down on the bed.

“My lips are sealed.” They stayed in a comfortable silence for a moment.

“Are you still there?” Caroline whispered.

“I am. I'm just trying to wrap my head around all this... My room is exactly the same it was when I left... Nothing has changed. It's like I never left.”

“My mom still keeps my stuffed animals in my old room, back in Mystic Falls.” Caroline commented. “I guess it's not the same.” She added with a nervous laugh.

“I'd like to see it someday.” Klaus said.

“What? My old room?” Caroline laughed. 

“No... well, your old room too, but I meant Mystic Falls. I'd like to see where you grew up.” Klaus explained. Caroline smiled.

“I'm sure it's not as amazing as London, but we do have some kick ass parties.” She chuckled. Klaus rolled on his side and yawned. “Do you want me to let you sleep?”

“No!” Klaus said quickly and then cleared his throat. “I mean, I'd like to stay on the phone with you a little bit longer.” He said awkwardly.

They stayed on the phone for an entire hour, just talking. At the end Klaus closed his eyes and started to fall asleep. The last thing he heard was Caroline's voice singing softly and then a low “I love you Klaus.”

 


	19. Chapter 19

 “Seriously?” Caroline practically whined while looking at Katherine. “How come you look so good after 7 hours on a plane? I look like crap!”

Katherine smirked.

“I'm Katherine Pierce. I'm fabulous.” Katherine said with a shrug. Even though her last name was Gilbert, Katherine started calling herself Pierce when she started publishing articles for the fashion magazine. Her artistic name, Katherine Pierce, was her way of keeping her professional life separated from her personal life. But it didn't matter what she called herself or where she was, she always looked spectacular. Meanwhile Caroline tried to untangle her hair and make it look less messy. She knew she looked tired without her make up, and while Katherine wore a long dress with cleavage, high heels and expensive sunglasses, Caroline wore a comfy sweater and blue jeans. 

It didn't really matter, because the moment they stepped into the airport lobby with their suitcases, Klaus thought he was the luckiest man in the world. He welcomed her with open arms and kissed her deeply.

“Hello gorgeous.” He whispered while taking the suitcase from her hand.

Caroline smiled widely. How come he always knew what to say?

“Hi!” She said simply and stole a quick kiss. “How are you? How is everyone else?”

“We're okay, still pretty shocked. To be honest I just want it to be over and go home.”

“Well if missing me is the problem, then don't worry! I'll be stuck here until I have a report on the Vodafone London Fashion Weekend.” Katherine said and flipped her hair. Caroline giggled and Klaus rolled his eyes.

“Fantastic.” He said sarcastically and walked them to the car.

On the ride to the manor, Caroline couldn't stay still for a single moment. London was so beautiful and she just wished she could stay longer and visit all the historical places. 

The circumstances weren't the best. She was there for a funeral, not for vacations. Klaus saw the excitement in her eyes just before they got sad. He reached to place a hand on her lap while he drove. Caroline took it and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“I know you haven't been back here in years for good reasons, but do you think we could come back later to visit?” She asked. “I'd like to see The Big Ben, and ride the London Eye!”

Caroline was right, Klaus hadn't been back in London for a good reason, Mikael. But now that he was gone, there was no reason for him to stay away. London was his home town and to be honest he missed it sometimes. Besides Caroline and Katherine's visit could lift up the mood in the house. If they all went out for some sightseeing, the siblings would be distracted and forget the sadness at least for a moment.

Klaus chuckled and nodded.

“Sure, I'll take you. Wherever you want.” He then smirked.. “Paris, Rome... Tokio?” 

Caroline laughed.

“Oh wow!” She lifted Klaus' hand and kissed it softly.

“If I roll my eyes one more time, they'll pop put of my head.” They heard Katherine complain from the back seat.

The Mikaelson sat around the table and had breakfast together. Elijah announced that he received an inform of the autopsy done on Mikael's body. The doctor didn't find anything strange, there were no substances in his body. Only blocked arteries. Mikael had in fact died of a heart attack.

Esther's eyes went back and forth between Mikael's chair and Klaus' chair. The later had been empty for four years. Still, having all her children back in the house was nice.

“Someone should wake up Niklaus.” She suggested. “He'll miss breakfast.”

“He woke up earlier.” Kol said. “He already had breakfast, he had somewhere else to be.” He added before taking a bite of his food.

Esther frowned.

“Where would he go?” She asked. It was that moment when they heard the door being open. Everyone turned to see the pretty blonde stepping into the kitchen.

“Hello!” Caroline said. Rebekah quickly got up and gave her a hug, which took Caroline by surprise. “Oh.. hey there...” She said softly rubbing Rebekah's back. “I'm sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks.” Rebekah mumbled. “I'm glad you're here.”

“Welcome to England, darling!” Kol said lifting his cup of coffee. Katherine walked into the kitchen, followed with Klaus, who was mumbling something about too many suitcases.

Elijah's eyes opened widely before getting up to hug Katherine and give her a big kiss. She played with the neck of his shirt and gave him bedroom eyes.

“Surprise.” She whispered.

For a moment everyone forgot about Mikael's death. Esther watched curiously and decided to speak up.

“Won't anyone introduce us? I feel like I'm missing out a lot here!”

Klaus rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm protectively around Caroline's waist while Elijah introduced the girls to Esther.

“They will be staying with us.” Klaus added.

“But we have a room booked in a hotel...” Caroline started and Klaus lifted a hand to stop her.

“Nonsense, you're our guests.” He said and kissed her cheek lovingly. He wasn't going to let his girlfriend stay somewhere else when they had so much space, besides Esther never was very fond of Americans so anything that could piss her off was good enough for him. Elijah nodded his head at Klaus' comment and smiled at Katherine.

“I agree with him.”

 

Not many people went to the funeral.

Actually, a lot of people went to the funeral, but they were mostly people from the newspapers, photographers and reporters. No one who actually cared about Mikael outside his family showed up. He didn't have many friends.

The family was left alone during the their time inside the church where the priest said his words and blessings, but when they carried the coffin outside to the cemetery they were blinded by flashes and ambushed by reporters. Some asked how they felt about Mikael dying, right after being sentenced to jail. Some others asked about a theory they had about Mikael faking his own death to avoid jail. But no one replied to anything. They just kept walking to the spot where Mikael was supposed to be buried. The security staff, hired by Elijah, kept the reporters away long enough for them to bury Mikael.

Caroline held Klaus' hand all the time. The press was delighted to see the prodigal son back in England. Soon enough reporters started to dig about Klaus and his life in America. But the truth about him not being Mikael's son never came out. 

Esther kept glancing to Klaus and Caroline from her seat. She still didn't know Caroline pretty well, but she did notice the way Klaus looked at her. It was like she was the sun. He adored her. The young shy boy that left England four years ago was completely gone, and now she saw her son turned into a grown man. Sure, he still had issues, but he looked a lot more confident and strong, and Esther had the idea that Caroline had something to do with that.

 

A few days passed and the mood in the manor improved. Klaus and Elijah took out their ladies for small rides, sightseeing and dinners in restaurants. Most of the time Kol and Rebekah would tag along. Even Finn and Sage joined them for dinner with their kids. Klaus even took Caroline to the London Eye and the Big Ben. 

They would always have breakfast together with Esther and spend most of the day with her, yet Klaus' relationship with his mother hadn't improved.

One morning Caroline woke up early. She stayed in bed for a little longer and enjoyed watching Klaus sleep, but then she decided to get up and start getting breakfast ready before the others woke up.

She didn't make it to the kitchen though. On her way there she walked pass the library where Esther sat on a couch with a photo album.

“Good morning Mrs. Mikaelson.” Caroline said politely like every morning.

“Caroline, darling. Come here for a moment.” Esther said. Caroline stopped and walked into the library. “Please, sit.” the girl did what she was told and Esther handed her the photo album she had. “I'm sure by now you have noticed there aren't photos of Niklaus hanging on the walls.” Esther said and she was right. Caroline was a curious girl and when she arrived to the manor she looked at every single framed photo in it. There were photos of all the kids, expect of Klaus. He only appeared in a couple of family photos. The album however, only had photos of Klaus. At first Caroline didn't understand because they were all photos of him when he was a baby, but as she turned the pages she recognized Klaus. The photos were organized from his birth to his last days in England. “Mikael never let me hang them.” Esther said with a sigh. “He said they made him feel embarrassed. Things like that make me wonder what the hell was I thinking when I spent the last 30 years of my life with that man. Of course, I don't regret having Kol or Rebekah...”

Caroline looked up with a frown.

“Why are you telling me all this?” She asked softly.

Esther pursed her lips while thinking.

“I think you're the only person in this house who is willing to listen to other people, I think you're not the kind of person that judges others. I've seen how my kids are willing to open up to you, not just Niklaus. That speaks highly of you.”

“Don't you think you should be telling Klaus all this instead?” She asked.

“He won't listen to me.” Esther said defeated. Caroline shook her head.

“With all due respect, Mrs. Mikaelson, you wouldn't know that for sure, we've been here for days and I haven't seen you try.” Caroline said with a defiant tone.

Esther was shocked for a moment, no one ever talked to her like that. But there was something in Caroline that she liked. She smirked and nodded.

“I guess you're never too old to commit mistakes.” She observed. “I'm thinking about hanging some of his photos on the walls. I should have done that years ago, but I'm hoping it's not too late to prove Niklaus that he matters to me. I thought maybe you could help me pick which photos I should frame.” She said with a soft smile.

“What are you doing?!” Klaus practically growled from the door. Esther and Caroline turned to look at him. He looked pissed and his eyes were locked with Esther's.

“Klaus, we were just talking.” Caroline started. 

“Caroline, please allow me a moment with my mother.” Klaus said, still not looking at her. Caroline chewed her lower lip and handed the album back.

She walked towards her boyfriend and stood in front of him where he would be forced to look at her.

“Don't be too hard on her. She's actually being nice.”

Klaus clenched his jaw.

“She's being manipulative. Now leave.”

Caroline narrowed her eyes. She didn't like being talked to like that.

“Fine, but when you're done here, you and I will have our own little chat.” She said before walking out of the library.

Klaus looked angrily at Esther again.

“What do you think you're doing?”

“Niklaus, I was just showing her some photos.” She replied.

“You were trying to convince her to take your side!” He roared. “You expect her to put a good word for you.”

“It doesn't take a genius to know you would do anything she asks you to, but no, I'm not trying manipulate her, or you! I'm trying to do things right. I waited four years to have you back.”

“Really? Because I felt your absence for twenty eight years.” Klaus spat.

Esther sighed.

“I know I wasn't a good mother. I know that. And you have no idea how sorry I am that you had to go through all that pain.” She got up and walked to him. “The day you were born, I knew Mikael hated me, so I told him I understood if he wanted to leave me. But he was a proud man, he didn't want people talking about how his wife had cheated on him. So instead he made sure I would never leave his side. He threatened to kill you, to kill me and to even kill your biological father.” She explained. “So I stayed to protect you, and not just you, but Finn and Elijah too. I was afraid of what Mikael would do to them if I was dead.” She shook her head and took a framed photo of Kol when he was a baby. “A few years after that we managed to be happy again, or that's what I thought. We conceived Kol and then Rebekah. By the time Rebekah was born you were ten and you started to show artistic talents. That infuriated Mikael.” She put the frame back in its place and turned to Klaus. “Your father was an artist as well.” She reveled. 

Klaus stared at her, shocked. He never knew that. It made sense though, that art was in his DNA, it was in his blood.

“That's when he started hitting me.” Klaus mumbled as the pieces fell together and Esther nodded. 

“I'll understand if you never forgive me, but I want you to know I'm very proud of the man you've become. You are my son and I've always loved you, even if I was terrible at showing it. And between us, I really like Caroline. She's a keeper.” Esther caressed Klaus' cheek and walked out.

Klaus took a moment to put his thoughts together. He stepped closer to the couch where the album was left open and saw pictures he didn't recognize. He went through the pages and realized those were pictures of himself he had never seen before because Esther kept them safe and away from Mikael. All his life he thought there were no photos of him and he had been wrong, there were many of them.

Caroline waited for him in his bedroom, ready for the confrontation. But when she saw the look on his face when he stepped in, her anger left her and was replaced by sympathy. She opened her arms and he hugged her tight. They didn't say anything for a while, they didn't need to. All Klaus needed was Caroline's support, and she would never deny him that.

 

Eventually the Mikaelson siblings had to go back to America. Finn and Sage went to the Manor that day to say good bye. Finn's kids kept tugging on Caroline's coat and asking her when would she be back, because who doesn't love aunty Caroline?

Esther kept telling Rebekah and Kol to be careful in the big, dangerous New York. She asked Katherine to make sure Elijah relaxes every now and then and then, to everybody's surprise, she handed Caroline a small album with some photos of Klaus.

It was time to say good bye and everyone shared long hugs. Klaus stood in front of Esther for a moment before pulling her for a hug. Esther was surprised but she hugged her son tightly soon enough. She didn't want to let go.

“New Year's Eve in New York is beautiful.” He said softly and stepped back. “Maybe this year you can come.”

Esther knew what he was telling her. His invitation was a peace offering. He was telling her in his own way that he was willing to see her again, to give her a chance. She nodded her head and smiled.

“I won't miss it for the world.”


	20. Chapter 20

_The memory was still vivid. Mikael had his hands around his neck and was squeezing hard. James kicked and fought hard to get him off on top of him._

“ _I told you to stay away!” Mikael roared. “I told you to stay away from MY wife and MY family!” He spat. James would never forget the day that Mikael Mikaelson almost killed him. It was also the same day his son Niklaus was born. One moment he was watching Esther hold a tiny baby in a hospital room and the next he's having a fight with Mikael in one of the hospital's empty rooms._

_James managed to punch him in the side of his ribs hard enough to make his grip weaken. He pushed Mikael to a side and rolled on the floor. He took a few breaths and try to put his thoughts together._

“ _He's my son.” James gasped._

“ _Not anymore.” Mikael said getting up. He kicked James who was still on the floor. “You come near us one more time and I swear I'll kill you. I'll kill your precious bastard in front of you and then kill you!” Mikael promised._

“ _You can't keep me away from him for ever.” James said. “Even if I stay away, you will always know he's not yours... you will always know she chose me!” He yelled back as he got up, holding his bruised torso. He knew Esther's betray was what hurt Mikael the most. “I'll find a way back to them.”_

_Mikael glared at him._

“ _Over my dead body.”_

He managed to keep Niklaus and Esther far away from James by moving his family back to London, his hometown. He raised Niklaus like his own but James knew the truth. He found out through a few of letters from Esther that Mikael was nothing but cruel to the boy. He tried to interfere a few times, even flew to England, but whatever he did would only make Mikael take retaliation by hurting Niklaus. No matter what he did, James couldn't protect the child.

 

Years passed but James never forgot about Esther or his son, not even after he fell in love and married another woman. By the time Esther's last letter arrived, James was a well known art professor at the School of visual arts of New York and at the NYU. In her letter, Esther told him in only a few words that Niklaus left England and flew to New York.

Now, finding a man in New York isn't easy, unless you have money, which is exactly what James had in quantity. He found his son, but Mikael's threat lingered in his mind after so long. Afraid of that Mikael could do if he reached out to Niklaus, James made sure to keep his distance. He never approached him, never spoke to him, even though there was nothing James wanted more.

He made sure to keep an eye on his son all the time. Whenever Niklaus struggled with bills, he would take care of it. It left Klaus confused many times, wondering who payed his rent or the electric bill, or who the hell slipped an envelope with money under his door. He just imagined it was Elijah's doing.

James was just an unknown face in the crowd. But he bought some of Klaus' paintings, he kept the articles written about him, he might have even suggested him when an old friend *coughs ***** Mason Lockwood *coughs* mentioned he was looking for paintings for his new Hotel.

Still, none of all those things filled the emptiness James had in his life. He had lost a son and wanted him back.

James looked at the newspaper once again. The title was big with black, thick fronts: “Mikaelson dies of heart attack before going to prison.”

He recalled the last words Mikael said to him. “Over my dead body.” Mikael would never know how true his words were.

 

 

Caroline chewed the bottom of her pencil and looked at the notepad she had on her lap. She wrote down every idea she had for a radio spot about detergent while Klaus painted. The flower duet Lakmé, by Léo Delibes played softly in the background. Klaus' studio seemed more and more relaxing, yet very inspiring to Caroline. When she had a hard time getting a new idea or finding a way through her creative process, she would just lay down on Klaus' couch, stare at the ceiling, unplug her mind and eventually the idea would pop up. And Klaus liked having her there. Her company was always welcomed and she was his muse. Whenever she worked in his studio, he paint passionately thanks to a new found inspiration.

That evening Caroline wanted something different though. She got up and looked at the stereo.

“I don't mind the classic music, I actually like it that you listen to it while painting, but don't you get bored every now and then?” She asked while looking through the CDs, looking for something different.

Klaus frowned.

“Not really, no... This music inspires me and helps me paint.”

Caroline gave up on looking through his CDs and decided to plug in her cell phone.

“Yeah, it's good to paint, but not the kind of music to have fun and let go.” She said pressing play.

Klaus blinked confused and Caroline turned to him. She started dancing and lip syncing.

“ _When I come to the club, step aside_

_(Oh shit!)_

_Part the seas, don't be havin me in the line_

_(Oh shit!)_

_V.I.P. cause you know I gotta shine_

_(Oh shit!)_

_I'm Fergie Ferg and me love you long time_

_(Oh shit!)”_

Klaus watched while Caroline danced towards him. She was moving her hips sensually ans running her hand hands up and down her body.

_“All my girls get down on the floor_

_(Oh shit!)_

_Back to back, drop it down real low_

_(Oh shit!)_

_I'm such a lady but I'm dancing like a hoe.”_ Caroline bent over provocatively.

_“(Oh shit!)_

_Cause you know I don't give a fuck, so here we go!_

_(Oh shit!)”_

Caroline stood in front of him and gripped him by the front of his shirt to make him get up from his stool. She moved with the aggressive and sexually charged song, and Klaus found it very hot.

_“How come every time you come around_

_My London London Bridge wanna go down like_

_London London London, wanna go down like_

_London London London, we goin down like”_

She turned around and leaned on him. Klaus placed his hands on her hips, still a little astonished by her dance. He knew she could be seductive if she wanted to. Luckily, she didn't “switched on” her seductive side in public or around other men, she wasn't the flirty kind of girl, but now that she was alone with him, he was pretty sure she was giving him a private show. And he loved it!

“ _How come every time you come around_

_My London London Bridge wanna go down like_

_London London London, wanna go down like_

_London London London, we goin down like”_

Klaus groaned as he felt Caroline pressed her hips against his. She turned and kissed his lips, but pulled away before he could make it deeper. Then she danced around the studio, making faces and acting like Fergie, as a bad ass with attitude.

_“Drinks start pourin and my speech start slurrin_

_Everybody start lookin real good_

_(Oh shit!)_

_That Grey Goose got your girl feelin loose_

_Now Im wishin that I didn't wear these shoes_

_It's like every time I get up on the dude_

_Paparazzi put my business in the news”_

Klaus watched and chuckled at her faces when she pursed her lips and made an “I'm tough” face. He then walked to her and pulled her closer. He wasn't the dancing type, but when you have a blonde goddess dancing sensually and pulling you closer, you dance, you dance your ass off if needed.

Bodies grinding together, hands touching frantically, lips kissing. Before they knew it, they were making love.

 

They laid lazily on the floor behind the couch tangled in each others limbs. Fergie's song ended long ago and now some happy tune by Aqua was playing in the background. They heard someone open the door and after a few seconds they heard Stefan's voice.

“Klaus?” He asked confused as he looked around the empty studio.

“Yes mate?” Klaus asked while peeking from behind the couch. Stefan frowned and tilted his head.

“What are you doing there?”

“Hi!” Caroline suddenly said while pocking her head from behind the couch as well. Stefan looked at her, then back at Klaus, then back at Caroline.

“Oh god...” He groaned and turned to his side, covering his eyes. “Please tell me you're not naked...”

“Alright then, we won't tell you.” Klaus chuckled.

“Jesus! No. No. No. I didn't need that mental image. Nope. I'm done. I'm out.” Stefan said throwing his arms around. Klaus rolled his eyes and Caroline laughed.

“Why don't you just tell us what you're doing here?” Klaus said.

“Alright. Yes! I came here for a reason.” Stefan said taking a paper from his pocket. “I got an email from this professor from the NYU. He teaches art and he wants to meet you. Maybe he wants you to give a conference or something like that.” Stefan said. “His name is James C. Williams.”

Klaus made a face.

“I'm not sure I can handle giving a public speech or talk in front of a whole class.”

Caroline caressed his arm.

“I'm sure you don't have to if you don't want to. But I'm also sure you can do it, you are a lot more confident than you think! Besides, we're getting ahead of ourselves, maybe he liked your paintings and wants to meet you! Either way, you'll do great!” She said, being supportive as always. Klaus smiled, took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

“Thanks sweetheart.”

“Alright, awesome!” Stefan said clapping his hands together. “I'll write him and we'll schedule a meeting! Now, I'll leave before I'm traumatized for life!” He turned around and left.

Caroline giggled and Klaus smirked at her.

“Now... where were we?” He leaned and kissed deeply, pushing her gently down to the floor, ready for round two.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to point out, that since Klaus is British, he says “colour” instead of “color”... Stupidly sexy accent, right? ;)

Still feeling a little bit uneasy while being in crowded places, Klaus decided to stay behind and take a seat on the last row, far away from most students while James Williams dictated his lesson, Art History 101. Klaus and James hadn't been introduced just yet, but Klaus could tell he liked the guy already. He spoke about art with passion. Sometimes his voice got louder as he went deeper and deeper into the details, pointing at the projected paintings at the front of the class.

“This is _La Chambre à coucher,_ painted by Van Gogh.” He said as he changed the projection. “It means “The bedroom”. “La Chambre à Arles” is a collection of three paintings of Van Gogh's bedroom in the Yellow House, Arlés, in France. The first painting was ruined during a flood, so Van Gogh painted it again, twice.” James explained as he showed his students the other two paintings. “Now, you might notice a difference between the paintings. Van Gogh made them different on purpose. Does anyone know why?” The students looked at each other and then down to the floor. Klaus grinned. “Come on, someone has to know it...” James said.

Klaus cleared his throat and replied.

“He changed the colours. To him the colours were a representation of his mood and feelings. The first painting has a lot of yellow, which means Van Gogh was happy when he painted it. But the other two have more red and blue, which means he was sad. He painted those after he moved out of the Yellow House and into a psychiatric hospital.”

Everyone had turned around to see the mysterious guy sitting at the last row. James smiled and nodded.

“That's correct, Mister...” He waited for Klaus to introduce himself.

“Mikaelson.” Klaus said. James frowned and put his glasses on. He stared at Klaus for a moment and the students started to look at each other once again.

“Of course...” James mumbled and snapped out of his trance. “I want everyone to write me a paper about the meanings Van Gogh gave to the different colors.” He said to his class. “Now you can go.”

The students started gathering their stuff until one girl called out.

“Professor Williams? You forgot today's quote.”

James smiled.

“Oh! Right!” He cleared his throat and everyone went quiet. “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. Thomas Merton said that.”

The students exited the classroom and Klaus made his way to James.

“That was an interesting way of finishing your class.” Klaus said extending his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, professor Williams.”

James looked at Klaus hand for a moment and then shook it.

“Call me James. Can I call you Niklaus?” He asked and Klaus nodded his head. “Alright, well let’s go to my office where we can talk.”

James’ office was quite impressive. The wooden furniture was old and classy, the walls were covered by ceiling high libraries or big paintings. It looked like the family library at the Mikaelson’s manor. Klaus expected James to sit behind his desk, but instead he sat on an arm chair next to the couch, as if they were equals.

There was something about the way James looked at Klaus that made the young artist feel uneasy. It was like James was memorizing his face or trying to look so deeply into his eyes that he could see his soul. Either way, Klaus sat down on the couch. James cleared his throat and looked at him.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why a stranger asked to meet you.” He said.

“I just assumed it had something to do with art.” Klaus said with a shrug.

James made a face and nodded.

“In any other circumstances, perhaps… But the thing is…” James looked at Klaus for a moment and hesitated, then took a breath. “… I met your parents years ago. Your mother and I were pretty close.” Klaus listened carefully and nodded for James to continue. “I read the news about Mikael’s death and I thought…” He wasn’t sure he wanted to give his condolences to Klaus, he hated Mikael, but he wasn’t ready to drop the bomb on him just yet. “… I’m not sure what I thought.” He needed to approach the subject better. “Tell me, were you two close?”

Klaus shook his head.

“Not really, no. He’s one of the reasons why I left England in the first place.” Klaus replied.

James hummed.

“I see…” He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your mother never mentioned me, did she?”

“No sir.” Klaus replied shaking his head.

“And did she ever tell you about the circumstances her relationship with Mikael went through before you were born?”

Klaus frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” James took a breath. “Did she ever tell you about her affair?”

Wherever this guy was going to, Klaus didn’t like it at all. He was still trying to fix things with his mother, he didn’t need some man meddling their life.

Klaus frowned and clenched his jaw.

“Where are you going with this?” It wasn’t an answer, but he wasn’t denying it either.

James knew he upset Klaus and he looked at his son apologetically

“I’m just trying to figure out how much you know…”

“About Mikael not being my biological father?” Klaus asked with a hiss. “That information never became public, so how do you know about that?”

“Niklaus…” James started trying to calm him down.

“No! Tell me! Are you snooping around my family? Looking for some juicy gossip to sell?” He accused.

“No! Of course not! It’s not like that!” James said.

“Then why do you care?” Klaus practically yelled.

“Because it was me! I’m the one she had an affair with!” James blurted out.

Klaus blinked.

“What?”

James ran his hands down his face and sighed.

“There’s no easy way to say this. I’m your father.” He confessed. “Esther and Mikael went through some hard times and when I met her we fell in love. It was about 30 years ago.”

Klaus stared at him for a moment, clenching his jaw.

“No.” He got up. “No. Just… no…” he paced around, breathing heavily. James got up and walked to him, but Klaus quickly stepped back. “No, don’t get any closer.” He said with his hand raised to stop him. “I need to get out of here.” He mumbled to himself before turning around and running out of the office.

“Niklaus, wait!” James called out, but it was useless.

The halls were filled with students which didn't help to Klaus' condition. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He pushed his way through the people, bumping into some, dodging others. He felt trapped as he looked around frantically, looking for a way out. He caught a glimpse of an emergency exit and made his way towards it. He pushed it open and found himself outside the building, near the parking lot, but the feeling of being trapped didn't fade away. He still felt like he was being choked.

Everything started to sink in. He had been sitting with his biological father. The man that Esther had cheated Mikeal with, his true maker and the man that sentenced him to a life filled with Mikael's hate. The world was spinning around him, everything was confusing and he felt his head pounding. His lungs felt like burning, his eyes got teary and his stomach begged to be emptied. Klaus leaned on the wall and threw up.

“Dude, are you okay?” a student passing by asked. Klaus barely looked at him as he tried to push himself away from the wall.

“Coming here was a mistake.” He said as he stumbled back to his car.

 

Caroline looked at Stefan, confusion and worry written all over her pretty face.

“What do you mean you can't find him?”

“I mean I've been calling him for two hours now and he's not picking up. He had an appointment with that art professor we spoke about, but that was hours ago.” Stefan replied with a frown on his face.

Caroline left the agency after a long day of hard work and all she wanted to do was catch up with Klaus, spend some time with him, maybe have dinner and watch a movie. So when she arrived to the gallery and found Stefan pacing back and forth, she got worried.

“Have you tried calling his siblings?” She asked and Stefan nodded.

“Rebekah hasn't seen him since yesterday, Kol can't look for him because his taking some class right now and Elijah...”

“Is working.” Caroline finished for him with a sigh.

“I checked his studio on the second floor, and his apartment. He wasn't there either.” Stefan added. Klaus apartment was in the same building the gallery was, which was really convenient, but Stefan never thought he would have to look around for Klaus, because Klaus never disappeared like that.

Caroline groaned and rubbed her face.

“Where could he be?” She said worriedly. Stefan couldn't answer her so she turned to leave. “Call me if you hear from him, okay?”

Caroline called Klaus' cell phone on her way home. She must have called six times but he never picked up. When she reached her building, she gave up and decided to leave a message.

“Klaus, I don't know where you are right now and I'm really worried. Stefan is worried too... I keep thinking maybe you had an accident, or got kidnapped or God knows what!” She sighed. “Please call me back.”

As she hung up her phone and reached her floor she spotted someone there. Klaus was sitting on the floor with his back against her door, playing absently with an empty bottle of water.

A sudden wave of relief hit Caroline as she realized it was him and he was okay. She rushed to him and knelt on the floor next to him.

“Klaus! Thank god! I was worried about you!” She said before frowning and slapping his arm. “Why the hell aren't you picking up your damn phone?!”

But Klaus didn't answer, he just kept looking at the plastic bottle in his hands. Caroline frowned and placed a hand on top of his.

“Klaus?... what is it?” She asked, her voice a lot softer than a moment ago.

Klaus tried to talk but he only managed to take a few shallow breaths as he felt another panic attack coming, and then just leaned on her, burring his face on her chest. Caroline blinked and started running her fingers through his blonde curls.

“I didn't know where else to go.” Klaus mumbled against her shirt.

Any other time he would have tried to act brave in front of her, he wanted to be a strong man, a man she deserved. But he was just so tired of fighting to breathe, so tired of fighting his fights alone. And he knew Caroline wouldn't judge him. If anything, she loved feeling useful and would never turn down a chance to help.

Her touch calmed him down soon enough and Klaus could picture her small yet adorable smile when she spoke.

“It's okay, you're home.”


	22. Chapter 22

 

_Then:_

_Klaus tried to talk but he only managed to take a few shallow breaths as he felt another panic attack coming, and then just leaned on her, burring his face on her chest. Caroline blinked and started running her fingers through his blonde curls._

_“ I didn't know where else to go.” Klaus mumbled against her shirt._

_Any other time he would have tried to act brave in front of her, he wanted to be a strong man, a man she deserved. But he was just so tired of fighting to breathe, so tired of fighting his fights alone. And he knew Caroline wouldn't judge him. If anything, she loved feeling useful and would never turn down a chance to help._

_Her touch calmed him down soon enough and Klaus could picture her small yet adorable smile when she spoke._

_“ It's okay, you're home.”_

* * *

 

Now:

At first Klaus was the one that walked back and forth in Caroline's apartment while Caroline sat on the couch and listened him tell her how he met his biological father, but by the time the story ended, Klaus was a lot calmer and Caroline was pacing around. She walked back and forth while looking at Klaus, who kept glaring at his cell phone on the coffee table.

“I know you don't want to, but you'll have to do it eventually...” She said softly while stopping the pacing.

Klaus sighed and rubbed his face.

“I'm not sure what I could do with whatever information Esther will give me. If James is my father, then I accused him of lying when he was saying the truth, and I'm not sure I can handle having a father all the sudden.” He said shakily. Caroline sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She felt him relax a little under his touch but when he looked at her, she saw he was exhausted and still pretty scared. “And if he lied and isn't my father, I'll continue being a bastard. I was okay with that before, but now I'm not so sure.” He closed his eyes and put his face in his hands with his elbows on his knees. “I feel so lost.”

Caroline bit her lower lip and wrapped her arm around his back.

“You're not lost, you're here with me.” She said softly. “No matter what happens, you will always have me.” She added and Klaus turned to kiss her softly. Caroline reached the phone and handed it to him. “I'll be here through the whole thing.” She promised.

Klaus took the phone and dialed Esther's phone. She picked up after a few rings.

“Niklaus? What a pleasant surprise.” She said. Klaus and Caroline shared a knowing look.

“Mother, I have something to ask you.” Klaus started. “What's my biological father's name?”

There was a silence.

“Are you trying to find him?” Esther asked. She didn't know it had been the other way around.

“Is his name James?” Klaus said without replying to her. 

There was another long silence before Esther sighed.

“Yes. His name is James Christopher Williams. He's an art teacher...”

“At the NYU.” Klaus finished. Caroline couldn't hear Esther, but she saw the crushed look on Klaus' face and that's all she needed to know what Esther said.

“Niklaus, what's going on?”

Klaus sighed and started telling her about his morning with James. Esther explained to him that James always wanted to be part of Klaus' life, but Mikael never let him. She didn't give too many details, but she didn't have to, that's all Klaus needed to know for now. By the end of the call, he was exhausted, that day had been a roller coaster of emotions and he wasn't done yet, he still needed to figure out what he was going to do.

“I guess I'll talk to him at some point. I should let him explain himself. Esther said he even went to England looking for me once.” Klaus said while turning to Caroline. “Would you be go with me if I asked you?”

She squeezed his hand and smiled.

“Of course! Where else would I be?”

 

The BBQ the Salvatores were planning before Mikael died took place that weekend at Guiseppe Salvatore's house. The weather channel announced it would be sunny and warmer than the previous days and this could be the last chance to eat outside before it started snowing again. Katherine offered taking the girls in one car while Klaus drove the boys. 

Katherine sat on the driver seat with Elena as shotgun. Bonnie, Caroline and Rebekah were in the back seat. It' wasn't a long ride but it gave them a chance to catch up, and as they talked, Caroline noticed something was bothering Rebekah. She looked sad as she played with the hem of her jacket.

“Hey... what's wrong?” Caroline asked softly.

Rebekah looked up at her and shrugged.

“It's nothing.”

Caroline frowned.

“Don't lie, something is bothering you...”

“You'll think I'm being shallow or selfish.”

“Haven't you seen who you're hanging out with?” Katherine said from the front seat. “Spit it out.”

Rebekah took a breath.

“You're all talking about the guys you're dating. Three of you are with my brothers and Elena is with Stefan. But I'm alone.”

Elena turned to look at her from the passenger seat.

“I thought you were with Matt? He mentioned you two were going out...”

Rebekah shook her head and looked down sadly.

“He lost interest in me. All our talks are short and awkward now.”

“Matty blue blue wouldn't do that.” Katherine muttered.

“Yeah, that's odd.” Bonnie said. 

After Katherine parked the car, she turned to look at Caroline. Bonnie and Elena did the same.

“Why are you all looking at me?” Caroline said confused.

“Do you think maybe this has something to do with you?” Bonnie asked.

“What? Why would it have something to do with me?” Caroline whined and Rebekah sat up, interested in the conversation.

“Well he used to have a thing for you, maybe he hasn't moved on yet.” Katherine pointed out.

“I was very clear to him...” Caroline started and stopped when she saw the look in Rebekah's face. “Bekah...” She started.

“No, save it. You didn't do anything wrong, it's not your fault that he likes you more.” She said before stepping out of the car. After a moment all the girls did the same. It was then when they noticed Matt's pick up truck parked across the street.

Klaus parked his car behind Katherine's soon after that. Elijah stepped out from the passenger seat and Kol came from the back seat. Stefan stepped out of the house and welcomed them all by the door. Marcel and Matt were outside playing catch with a football while Damon cooked the meat and sipped his beer.

The girls agreed to help set the table while the boys took care of the food. Except for Katherine, of course, who stood next to Elijah and enjoyed the sun. Bonnie settled the plates and the glasses when Kol walked behind her and held her by her waist. Caroline smiled on her way to the kitchen as she heard Bonnie giggle and try to slap Kol's hand away.

She was working on some salads to go with the meat when Matt walked in.

“Hey.” He said walking to the fridge to get more beers. When he walked to the counter to get the opener that was left there, Caroline snatched it first and gave him a challenging look. “Can I have that?” He asked confused.

“What's wrong with Rebekah?” Caroline suddenly asked. Matt blinked and frowned. “You two were getting along just fine and now she says you've lost interest. Is it because of me?” Matt shook his head and sighed.

“No, that has nothing to do with you.”

“Then please explain because I can't imagine something being so wrong about Rebekah that made you lose interest.” She said while crossing her arms on her chest.

“It's none of your business but if you really need to know...” He looked down and Caroline swore he looked ashamed. “We're too different. She's so... so... rich!” He said hesitantly.

“What?” Caroline mumbled confused.

“Our worlds are completely different. She's rich and sophisticated, she's eighteen and she already made it in the fashion industry, has contracts with big magazines and soon enough she'll travel around the world to do fancy photo shoots. I mean, how couldn't she? She's gorgeous. And she's so mature for an eighteen years old! Before I know it she'll became a famous photographer and I'll still be a bus boy.” He said frustrated and breathlessly.

Caroline looked at him for a moment and smiled.

“You like her so much!” She squealed. “So so much you think you don't deserve her, but oh Matt! She likes you too!!!”

Matt sighed.

“I will never be able to give her all the things she's used to.”

“But that's the thing! She doesn't want what she already has. She's a shy and sweet girl, she wants friends, REAL friends, and she wants love!” She said handing him the opener. “Think about it.”

Matt stood there looking at the beers and the opener as if they were the most interesting things ever and eventually stepped out of the kitchen.

Soon after that Klaus walked in and smiled softly.

“There you are.” He said wrapping his arms around her from behind. Caroline knew he was looking for comfort. The last few days were very hard for him since he found out about James being his father. He would reach out and touch her, call her when he was alone in his studio, things like that. Caroline placed her hands on top of his and turned her head.

“How are you holding up?”

“I'm okay, I'm glad you convinced me to come.” He said with a chuckle. It took a couple of hours that morning to convince him to join them at the Salvatore house, since he wasn't feeling like hanging out with people even though only Caroline and Stefan knew about James. He changed his mind when Caroline decided to use her big guns, like give him a hot, deep kiss and then strip in front of him as she walked to the bathroom to take a shower. Of course Klaus joined her soon after that.

Now Caroline couldn't stop a victorious smile to form on her face.

“I knew it.”

“You know, I've seen Elijah smile more in the last couple of weeks than in a whole decade, and Kol is behaving pretty well, he's studying hard and making amazing building designs.”

“You think New York changed them?” Caroline asked while turning to look at him.

“I think it wasn't New York, but the people in it. Bonnie is a good influence, and Katherine makes Elijah feel more relaxed.” He said with a small smile.

“What about you?” Caroline asked while lifting a her hands to cup his cheeks. “Do you feel different with me?” She asked teasingly.

“You have no idea how much you've changed me.” he said while tucking a stand of her hair behind her ear.

“I never meant to change you, you know? To me, you didn't need to change.” She said shaking her head.

“I know, but you made me better.” He said pulling her closer and resting his forehead against hers. “I'm worried about Rebekah though, she doesn't look happy.”

Caroline chew her bottom lip. Klaus frowned and lifted his head.

“You know something...” He accused.

“I do, but I'm not telling you. I would be breaking her trust.” She said.

“Is she going to be okay?” He asked worriedly.

“Of course she will, she has the best brothers in the world.” Caroline said, then she pecked his lips and held a bowl against Klaus' chest. “Now take this salad to the table, I'm starving!”

 

When the food was served everyone started eating and chatting happily. To everyone's surprise, Damon turned out to be a great cook and the food was delicious.

Caroline noticed how Matt kept glancing at Rebekah across the table while she tried to make talk with other people, like Bonnie and Elena. Elijah spoke about the opening of his law firm, how he managed some of the best lawyers in New York to join him and he made it clear that he wanted Katherine to be his date at the opening dinner they would celebrate. Marcel and Damon worked on the details of Marcel's upcoming album and Caroline told them about a new account she had.

But Klaus sat in silence most of the time, except when he added a comment or two to whatever his siblings were saying. At some point he sipped his glass and took a breath.

“I actually wanted to use the occasion to give you some news.” Klaus said. Caroline turned to him and reached out to hold his hand on the table. “Some of you already know, but for those who don't, Mikael Mikaelson wasn't my real father.” He started. Elijah, Kol and Rebekah looked sad. “Recently my biological father has reached out to me.” Klaus announced. Marcel gasped and Rebekah gasped. Everyone was shocked. Caroline gave Klaus' hand a squeeze, letting him know he had her support. “Anyway, I don't know how things will work from here, but I just wanted to let you all know that no matter what happens, I think of all of you as my family.” He concluded.

After a moment Stefan got up and walked to him, opening his arms.

“Come here.” He sang and pulled Klaus up from his chair and gave him a hug.

Marcel quickly got up.

“Wait for me!” He said before joining the hug. Everyone else laughed and Klaus was hugged by his siblings, Caroline and even Katherine. When they sat down again, Klaus noticed Rebekah's pout.

“What's wrong?” He asked.

“I don't know how to feel. I'm glad you get to find more about your roots but... I feel like I'm losing you.”

Klaus shook his head and gave her a serious look while he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“I will always be your brother, Bekah.” He said before kissing her cheek.

“Oh god!” Marcel said from across the table and rubbed his face.

“Let me guess.” Stefan said. “You got some “feels” in your eyes again.” He teased.

* * *

 

Rebekah tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't sleep. She wished Bonnie was there to talk, but she left earlier to spend the night with Kol. She felt so lonely that night.

The doorbell ringing made her jump a little. Yes, she was feeling lonely, but that didn't mean she wanted a psycho knocking on her door at midnight. She grabbed her bat and walked to the door slowly. The doorbell rang again and she looked through the peephole.

On the other side Matt stood awkwardly, running a hand through his hair. Rebekah put the bat down and opened the door a little.

“Hello.” She said softly.

“Hey... I'm sorry if I woke you up, but I couldn't sleep and I wanted to talk to you.” He said shyly. Then he lifted a paper bag he had. “I brought ice cream.” he added with a smile.

Rebekah smiled and opened the door more so he could come in.

“Of all the people you could talk to on a sleepless night, I never thought I would be one. I didn't think you liked me at all.” She commented. Matt frowned as he placed the paper bag on the table. He turned to her and took a breath.

“I'm sorry I was an ass to you. I was afraid you would realize you could do better and be done with me.” He said.

Rebekah stared at him with a shocked look.

“Do better? What's better than a sweet, caring, good looking guy?” She said. Matt blushed and took her hands.

“Do you think you can give me another chance?” He asked.

“You don't even need to ask.” Rebekah said while wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him for a kiss.


	23. Chapter 23

Klaus stood awkwardly in front of the big wooden door. He looked down to the doorbell and swallowed hard. He wanted to turn around and leave, but just when he was about to, he felt a warm and soft hand taking his. Klaus looked to his left and saw Caroline smiling sweetly at him. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and Klaus took a breath. She was there with him. Everything would be okay.

 

He pressed the doorbell and they heard some old tune play behind the door. A woman in her forties opened the door. She had a white apron on her baby blue uniform.

“How can I help you?” The maid said.

Klaus opened his mouth a couple of times to speak and looked at Caroline in panic when nothing came out.

“Yes, we're here to talk to Mr. Williams.” Caroline replied for him.

“Mr. Williams is in his studio and usually doesn't want to be disturbed. Do you have an appointment?” The maid asked.

Caroline and Klaus looked at each other, then Caroline shook her head.

“No, but this is really important.” Caroline insisted. The maid nodded her head.

“Wait here.” She stepped away from the door without closing it and walked to a little white phone on the wall. It wasn't really a phone, but an intercom. It made sense, since the house was huge. It was three story tall!

The maid spoke quickly to who they assumed was James and then turned to the door again.

“He will see you soon, please come in.” 

She leaded them to the living room, which had a fireplace, two leather couches and big book shelves on the sides. There were also a few paintings on the wall.

“Make yourselves comfortable.” The maid said before stepping out. Both Caroline and Klaus sat down on one of the couches and looked around.

“How are you feeling?” Caroline asked softly.

“I'm sweaty, I'm shaky and I feel like my stomach is one big knot... but it could be worse.” He said giving her a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

“It's gonna be okay.” She comforted him. Klaus leaned on the couch, trying to make himself more comfortable, when his eyes landed on one of the paintings on the wall. 

Caroline saw the color disappear from his face and his eyes go wide. Klaus got up and walked to it.

“This painting... is mine.” He said shocked.

James had one of his paintings there, in his house.

 

“Niklaus.” James called. Caroline and Klaus turned to see James making his way down the stairs and towards them. Caroline got up and stepped closer to Klaus. “I wasn't expecting you.” He said when he reached them. James stood awkwardly, probably debating I he should shake hands with Klaus or not.

Luckily, Caroline broke the ice with her charming self.

“Mr. Williams, I'm Caroline. It's nice to meet you.” She said offering him her hand. James shook it gently and smiled at her.

“I hope you don't mind I asked her to tag along.” Klaus said, placing a hand on the small of her back. 

“Not at all. Please, sit.” Klaus and Caroline sat down on the couch once again while James sat in front of them. In that moment the maid walked in with a tray of food with a tea pot and cups. “Thank you, Christy.” James said. “That would be all.”

“Good! Because I still haven't finished cleaning the book shelves!” She said walking to the door. “Why would someone have 2576 books?! To annoy me, that's why!” she mumbled while stepping out again.

James couldn't help but chuckle and soon Caroline joined him.

“2576 books! That's impressive!” She said with a smile.

“Thank you.” James said while serving the tea. “So... I assume you wanted to talk.” He then said looking at Klaus.

“I thought we could talk.” Klaus said with a nod. “Maybe even get to know each other.”

James smiled and nodded back.

“I'd like that.”

“I feel like I'm at a disadvantage.” Klaus commented before pointing to his painting on the wall. “It seems like you already know a few things about me.”

James nodded, this time with a serious look on his face.

“You need to know, I loved your mother very much and I wanted to be part of your life. But Mikael never accepted it and moved his family back to England so he could raise you yourself. I tried to find you many times but Mikael kept threatening me, telling me he would hurt you and Esther. So I decided to keep my distance.”

“And now that Mikael is dead...” Klaus said softly. “You thought about reaching out to me.”

James nodded.

“Yes. I wanted to do that since I found out you were in New York, but I wasn't sure how you would take it or if Mikael would go on with his threats.”

“So you kept an eye out for him?” Caroline asked softly. James smiled sweetly at her and nodded.

“As much as I could, yes.” He got up and walked to one of the bookshelves he had there, then picked what it looked like a big black book.

He opened it and handed it to Caroline. Klaus leaned closer to her to see the book and realized it was an album. Caroline placed it on her and Klaus' lap. She passed the pages and saw they were filled with photos, newspapers and magazine articles, letters from Esther and drawings made by Klaus when he was younger. Small but significant moments in Klaus' life.

Caroline looked up to see James, who was sitting on the couch again, while Klaus kept his eyes glued on the album.

“I have a few more paintings in the house.” He said before taking a long breath. “I'm sorry for missing all these years, Niklaus. I really wanted to find you sooner, but I didn't want Mikael to punish you for a crime you didn't commit.”

 

Klaus looked up to him in silence. James looked sad, embarrassed even. Klaus looked down to the album again and saw a photo of Esther holding a little baby wrapped in a blue blanket. He felt his throat tightening. His life, his family, his chance of a happy childhood had been stolen from him, just like James chances of having his son in his life were stolen from him.

Caroline glanced at Klaus and reached out to take his hand. Klaus quickly clasped it in his hand and held it tightly.

“Now that we've established you know a bit about Klaus, why don't you tell us about you?” Caroline asked James.

“Well... I'm an art teacher, as you know. Before that I was an artist myself but that didn't pay the bills,” He chuckled. “...and I also worked at a few museums.” He started saying. Caroline couldn't help but notice that Klaus and James shared a few things, like the color of their eyes, the way they moved their hands, the dimples that formed when they smiled. And of course, their passion for art. “I was married once. She passed away a couple of years ago.”

“I'm so sorry.” Caroline said.

 

“DAD!” A voice called out. “I'm home...” They all turned to look at the door when a boy walked in, running his hand through his shaggy black hair. 

Both Caroline and Klaus turned to look at James at the same time, almost in a comical way. James got up and walked to his son.

“Let me introduce you. Niklaus, Caroline, this is my son, Henrik.” He then turned to Henrik. “You remember I told you about Niklaus?”

Henrik looked at Klaus for a moment and then back to James. He chewed his lip nervously and nodded.

Klaus got up and walked to him.

“Hello.” He said. Caroline watched as they looked at each other curiously.

“Hi.” The boy said. He couldn't be older than sixteen. He was tall and slim, and he wore a high school uniform. “So... you're my brother...” Henrik said shyly. To Caroline's surprise, Klaus smiled.

“I believe so.”

“Do you have other brothers too?” Henrik asked curiously and Klaus chuckled.

“Yes I have three brothers and one little sister... Perhaps you'll meet them someday.” Henrik smiled back and nodded.

“I would like that.”

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I decided to write about Klaus and Caroline's first Christmas together and skipped over Thanksgiving (there wasn't much to say, she would go to Mystic Falls and the Mikaelson don't celebrate Thanksgiving).  
> Chapter 23 was supposed to be the last one but I decided I wanted to make it longer. Anyway don't forget to review.  
> This chapter is SOOOOO fluffy. I hope you like it!

Klaus looked around the apartment. It looked like it came out of a magazine, or that father Christmas had been there and threw up, because it was decorated from floor to ceiling with Christmas ornaments. Caroline smiled widely and clapped her hands, looking proudly to her work.

“I think you've outdone yourself, love.” Klaus said wrapping his arm around her waist. Caroline smiled sweetly and leaned on him.

“That's not possible.” She looked at the tree and touched one of the little bells hanging from one of the branches. “Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. When my dad still lived with us, he used to help me, and at the end he would lift me up so I could place the star at the top.” She finished with a little sigh. She missed those good old days. Klaus sensed the change in her mood and rubbed her side. She smiled at the comforting gesture and then turned to him with a wide smile. “Speaking of fathers... you're spending your first Christmas with James! How do you feel about that?”

Klaus took a breath. After meeting James and Henrik, Klaus had been trying to get to know them. He talked about art with James and took Henrik out for milkshakes a couple of times.

But now it was time to take the next step. Introduce them to his siblings. Rebekah insisted on all the siblings spending Christmas together at the lake house, and that included Henrik.

Because of her job, Caroline wasn't able to go to Mystic Falls and spend Christmas with her mom, so she would celebrate Christmas with Klaus and his family. And that made Klaus a lot calmer.

“I'm excited. Nervous, but in a good way... I don't want to get my hopes up and let myself believe we'll be a big, happy, slightly dysfunctional family, because...” He took a breath and Caroline turned completely to him. “What if it doesn't work out?”

Caroline cupped his face.

“You're afraid of losing another parent, aren't you?” Klaus looked at her and nodded slightly. How she managed to read his mind was beyond him, but he was glad. Caroline stroked his cheeks and smiled softly. “I can't promise you it will work out, but I can promise you, no matter what happens in the future, you will never be alone.”

That's what Klaus feared the most. Being alone. He finally got his siblings back, he had the girl of his dreams, good friends and his biological father in his life. Going back to the dark, lonely Klaus wasn't an option.

He leaned closer and held her tight.

“Thank you.” He said softly and kissed her lips. She kissed back eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

There was a sound coming from the door, like someone was unlocking it. And then, a voice.

“Caroline? Are you home?”

Caroline's face snapped to the side in shock. Klaus turned to see a blonde woman stepping into the living room. She had short hair and blue eyes. Klaus noticed she looked a lot like Caroline.

“Mommy?” Caroline mumbled. “What are you doing here?” She said before rushing to give her a hug.

Klaus watched while the woman held her daughter tightly and rocked her to the sides. Suddenly he felt very nervous. He wasn't ready to meet her mom.

“Awe sweetheart, I couldn't stay home knowing you were here.”

“But you told me you had to work!” Caroline said while stepping back.

“I lied.” Liz smirked. “I left my deputies in charge. Besides, nothing bad ever happens in Mystic Falls, specially during the holidays.” She added with a shrug.

Caroline smiled widely, ecstatic to have her mom with her for Christmas. Then she turned and looked at Klaus.

“Mom, he's my boyfriend, Klaus.”

Klaus stepped closer and offered her his hand.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Forbes.” He said and Liz shook his hand.

“Please, call me Liz.” She said before elbowing Caroline. “Handsome AND with good manners.” Both women giggled and Klaus felt his stomach twisting in one knot.

“Yeah, he's old school. Wait until you hear him talk some more, he sounds like he was born in another century.” Caroline joked.

“Only because you like it.” Klaus said, daring to wink at his girlfriend. Then he turned to Liz. “We're celebrating Christmas at my family's lake house tomorrow night, I hope you join us.”

Liz tilted her head and looked at Caroline, then back at him.

“Only if I'm not intruding.”

“Not at all.” Klaus said while Caroline shook her head fast. Then he turned to her. “I should get going. I promised Rebekah I would go to the lake house and help her get everything ready.”

“At this hour? It will be late by the time you're done.” Caroline said worriedly. Klaus chuckled and shook his head.

“We're spending the night there. Elijah and Kol will come too. We haven't had the 'present exchange' morning ritual in years.”

Caroline smiled and nodded.

“Drive safely.”

He smiled and leaned to kiss her cheek.

“I will. Again, it was nice meeting you.” He said to Liz and walked to the door, but then he stopped. “I almost forget.” He pulled an envelope out of coat and handed it to Caroline. “An early Christmas present.”

Caroline gasped.

“Klaus! You didn't have to!”

He chuckled and dodged the playful slap that was directed to his arm.

“I'll see you tomorrow, love you!” He said before walking out.

Caroline looked at the envelope curiously while her mother picked her suitcase to put it away. Her name was elegantly handwritten on the envelope with thick, black ink. She opened it and took the content. It was a beautiful sketch of her face, she was smiling widely and had flowers on her hair. She took a breath and ran her fingers on the paper.

“Don't tell me he's also an artist!” She heard her mom say from behind her. Liz was spying over Caroline's shoulder.

“He is.. he's so dreamy!” Caroline sighed happily and Liz laughed.

 

The next morning everyone exchanged presents with their loved ones. Katherine gave Elena a new journal while Elena gave Katherine a new jacket. Jeremy arrived by surprise to his sisters' apartment with more gifts.

Liz gave Caroline a sweater, telling her she was worried because she kept getting cold and sick. Caroline laughed and put on the big baby blue sweater before handing her mom a new watch, telling her now she could look fabulous while being a workaholic. They laughed and made hot chocolate.

Stefan and Damon spent the night at their father's house. Damon gave Stefan a first edition of his favorite book, while Stefan gave him what he knew his brother would also love... alcohol. A very expensive and old bourbon. Uncle Zack visited them, which was always good. He always brought the best present: porn!

Bonnie was surprised to find a delivery guy with flowers by her door. They were from Kol.

Kol, Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah exchanged presents at the lake house. Klaus got mostly art supplies and books, Elijah of course got ties and shirts. He also got “Relaxation for dummies.” from Kol, as a joke -not really, no-. Kol got art supplies as well, but for his architecture classes and a new baseball bat. He seemed enamored with this American sport. And sweet little Bekah got accessories such as scarfs, necklaces and a little purse. Elijah got her a special kind of flash drive for her photos and an album.

Klaus couldn't remember the last time he had been so happy. He looked around and saw his siblings getting along and most important he didn't feel alone anymore. He also knew his happiness had something to do with certain blond beauty. He missed her the moment he stepped out of her apartment the night before. Was he being needy? He hoped it didn't bother her. It seemed like magic that soon after that he got a text from her saying “Merry Christmas! Can't wait to see you!”

He had the goofiest smile on his face. He couldn't wait either. He knew then he didn't want to be without her. He needed Caroline in his life. So he made a decision.

 

After picking Bonnie up, Katherine picked Caroline and Liz to drive them to the lake house. Elena, Stefan, Damon and Marcel would join them later. Matt said he would drive his truck there with Jeremy, which seemed a little awkward for Bonnie, since the last time they saw each other was through their computers and it didn't end well. Add crazy ass Kol and you have a recipe for a disaster.

It was still early when they arrived, but that was okay because Caroline promised to help Rebekah with dinner. They were greeted by Elijah at the door and they laughed when they saw the ridiculous Christmas sweater he was wearing. It was blue with a deer in it. It had a big red ball of wool on the deer's nose that stuck out of the sweater.

Kol and Klaus were sitting by the fire, Klaus had a red Christmas hat, because according to Rebekah he was “Santa Klaus” and Kol wore deer antlers.

“It seems like the Christmas spirit a hit you hard this year.” Caroline joked after introducing her mom, then she walked to Klaus and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“It's Rebekah's fault.” He said. “She insisted and threatened us by saying she would tell you all embarrassing stories about our younger years.”

Caroline laughed and pecked his lips.

“I'm curious now.”

“There will be time for that later.” Rebekah said walking out of the kitchen with an apron and an elf's green hat. “Maybe after exchanging presents. Now we have to finish cooking dinner.”

Klaus frowned.

“I'm sure we can come up with embarrassing stories about you as well.” Elijah threatened.

“I'm just trying to be a good host!” Rebekah said lifting her hands.

The kitchen was a mess. It would be a big dinner with a lot of people and Rebekah never cooked this much before. She was glad Caroline offered to help and while they were at it, Liz and Bonnie decided to join them. Even Katherine helped with the desserts.

Stefan and Damon arrived with Elena and Marcel, then Matt arrived with Jeremy who looked awkward by celebrating Christmas with a family he didn't know and mostly by being in the same room with his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. But hey! If Caroline, Matt and Rebekah could get along without awkwardness, so could Jeremy and Kol. Although Kol didn't mind showing around the bat he got for Christmas.

And then, the guests of honor arrived. Henrik knocked on the door while James held some bags with food.

Klaus had been so nervous about it, but Elijah, Rebekah and even Kol were very welcoming. Klaus' biggest fear became true though. Kol and Henrik hit off right away and that could only mean trouble.

The dinner table was crowded. So many voices. So many couples! Elena and Stefan, Caroline and Klaus, Elijah and Katherine... Damon and his glass of bourbon... Seriously, he wouldn't let go of the damn glass.

After dinner they went to the living room and exchanged presents by the fireplace.

Caroline bounced on her sit while she passed Klaus her present. It was big and it was wrapped in a bright red paper. He opened it and found what looked like a briefcase with his name craved on it. He opened it and found more art supplies.

“So you can make art wherever you go.” Caroline said sweetly. Klaus smiled and kissed her.

“Thank you love.” He ran his finger on the craved name. Then he handed her his present and she teared the wrapping paper right away. Klaus didn't miss Liz chuckling at her daughter.

It was a new copy of “Gone with the wind”, which Caroline considered thoughtful. And then she opened a smaller package he put with the book. He got her a pair of beautiful earrings that matched the snowflake necklace he got her before.

“Oh...” She gasped while blinking.

“Caroline Forbes is speechless, that's a new one.” Katherine joked. Everyone in the room laughed and the sound seemed to pull Caroline out of her shock, because she turned to Klaus and gave him a big kiss.

“I thought you had a copy already.” Liz said looking at the book.

“I did, but it's ruined.” Caroline commented and then turned to Klaus again. “How did you know?”

“You told me.” He said with a shrug.

“When?” She asked tilting her head.

“On our first date.” He replied.

“That was months ago!” Caroline said shocked.

Elena and Bonnie went “awwww” and James chuckled.

“Atta boy!”

Next it was James and Henrik turn. James handed Klaus a box and inside it had a picture frame with a photo of Esther holding a tiny little baby in a blue blanket. Klaus knew that photo, he saw it in the album photo James showed him the day he visited his house for the first time.

“Is that Klaus?” Caroline asked curiously. James nodded his head.

“Yeah, I was there the day Esther gave birth and I took that photo. I thought Niklaus would like to have a copy.” He added with a shrug.

Klaus looked up speechless and smiled.

“Thanks.”

“I remember when he was a baby.. he always looked red.” Elijah said from behind the couch Klaus was sitting on and everyone laughed.

Then Henrik gave Klaus a key and Klaus looked at it confused.

“It's a key to our house.” Henrik said. “You're family now, so you can come whenever you want.”

Klaus nodded while taking the key and then got up. He hugged Henrik and saw James over his shoulder. He stretched one arm and pulled him into the hug too.

“Thank you.” He said softly.

 

Outside, while standing on the porch, Klaus looked down to the key in his hand. It was funny how something so small could mean so much. It didn't just mean he could open a door, it meant he was welcomed into their home. Like Henrik said, he was family now. A few months ago he barely talked to his siblings and now he had two families. He took his keychain from his pocket and added the new key.

He felt two arms sneak around his waist and then a pair of lips on his neck.

“Did you have a nice Christmas?” Caroline asked softly.

Klaus turned around to her and smiled.

“This was the best Christmas I ever had.” He replied. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her big bright smile. It was breathtaking.

“Good, I'm glad.” She said leaning on his chest.

Klaus caressed her cheek and smiled when she leaned her head on his hand. She always did that, like she trusted him, like she enjoyed his touch. He would never understand why someone would want that, but to Caroline, ever caress, ever word she got from Klaus was precious.

“Move in with me.” Klaus suddenly blurted out.

Caroline opened her eyes widely in surprise and then smiled.

“You really want me to move in with you?”

Klaus nodded.

“Yes, or we can move in together in a new apartment. We could live in a shoebox for all I care. I just know is that I love you so much, I want to wake up next to you ever morning and go to bed with you every night.”

Caroline smiled even more.

“I love you too, Klaus.” She said lifting her hands to caress his jawline and cheeks.

“Is that a yes?” He asked hopeful. Caroline nodded her head.

“That's a yes.” She replied and they kisses hard and passionately.

 

Inside, Rebekah kept sneaking glances towards the front window.

“What are you looking at?” Kol asked and frowned when Rebekah quickly slapped his arm and chest and shushed him. “Ouch!”

“I'm just looking out...” She whispered.

“Didn't Nik go out a while ago?...” He looked around for Caroline and noticed she was gone too.

“I don't think they noticed it's snowing. They'll freeze outside.”

“Why wouldn't they notice the snow fa....” Kol stopped as he realized what was going on. “Ooooh... you think they're doing it in the woods?”

Rebekah gasped.

“Ew Kol, I don't know and I don't wanna know.”

Suddenly there was a loud crash and laughs.

“I think Damon had too much eggnog.” Stefan said.

“You can never have too much eggnog!” Damon said from his spot on the floor.

 

 


	25. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: It's been months since I finished this story, but I always felt like it needed an epilogue. So here it is. And it's filled with feels! I hope you like it.

 

It all started that quiet morning at the lake house...

 

Klaus and Caroline had been living together for a year now and none of them could be happier. Caroline loved having someone to talk to after a long day at work, someone who would cuddle her on the couch and read to her or watch a movie with her while eating take out. Klaus loved having his muse around. He loved waking up next to her and watch her get ready to go to work while he laid lazily on bed only to get up a few minutes later and head down to the gallery. They enjoyed the good things and learned to live with the bad things, like Klaus' dirty socks on the floor, or Caroline's OCD. Their little moments of jealousy or insecurity. Caroline's bad luck in the kitchen and Klaus' late nights at the gallery. They learned to talk about it, work it through. They realized they didn't mind any of that, because at the end of the day, the other person was worth it, they had each other to love and live with. Also, the sex was mind blowing.

 

So they focused on the good things. Like Klaus' wonderful cooking skills, or how tender he was whenever Caroline was sick or having bad cramps. He would make her breakfast in bed and take care of all her needs until she could go back to work. Caroline would repay him by leaving sweet sticky notes everywhere, or buying him art supplies she knew he needed even before he asked for them. She even got him a briefcase with a portable easel, paint tubes and brushes, “so he could take his art everywhere” according to her. Klaus surprised her with plane tickets on first class to see her mother, while Caroline spent more than 8 hours outside a theater to get tickets for a Shakespeare play he wanted to see. It had been a wonderful year and they wouldn't change a thing.

 

This time the couple was enjoying a few days away from the city at the lake house, the two of them alone. Caroline had a few days off at work, while Klaus felt like he needed to get away to get inspired for his next collection. It was that cloudy and rainy morning that everything started...

 

Klaus opened his eyes and smiled at the feeling of his girlfriend's lips on his. Caroline had been watching him sleep -”it's not creepy, it's romantic!” She would say- and was tenderly caressing his jawline.

 

“Good morning, you.” She said softly before leaning to kiss his chest and neck.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” He said, his voice deep and raspy due the sleepiness. His arms moved to wrap around her waist and pulled her closer just when she was about to get up to make breakfast.

“I'm sorry if I woke you up, you looked so peaceful, I just wanted to kiss you.” She said softly.

“That explains why I dreamed about a dog licking my face.” Klaus joked, earning a playful slap from Caroline.

“Hilarious!” She said sarcastically. Klaus chuckled and just tightened his grip when she tried to move.

“I want to wake up like this every day.” He said after sighing contently.

“What? Dreaming of a dog licking your face?” Caroline asked and chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

“Waking up with you.” He corrected, his hand playing with a lock of her blonde hair. Caroline smiled sweetly.

“We've been waking up like this for a year now. I don't see why that would change.” She commented with a shrug.

Klaus looked up at her and took a moment to think, something had clicked in his mind. Even after all this time, Caroline still couldn't get used to Klaus looking at her like that, so intently, so lovingly.

“I want to marry you.” Klaus said after a moment.

Caroline started gaping like a fish out of the water.

“I think you're still half asleep...” She said and Klaus started shaking his head. He sat up on the bed and took her hands in his.

“No... I mean, I've known for a while, I have a ring and everything.” He said. Caroline just managed to blink a few times while her brain processed the information. “I was going to propose after a romantic dinner or while doing a romantic gesture. But anyone could do that. If I'm going to ask you to marry me, then I should be showing you what you'll be signing in for.” Caroline looked at him confused, and before she could voice it, Klaus continued. “Just answer me this, are you happy?”

“I'm a little bit confused, but yes, of course I'm happy, I've been happy for the last couple of years and you have a lot to do with that.” She replied and Klaus nodded his head.

“Okay, so that is what a lifetime with me can offer to you, this is what I can offer to you. Waking up like this, cooking together, art and trips and movie nights on the couch... that is what I can offer you and that's what you'll get if you marry me. I've known I want to share my life with you for a long time now, that's why I asked you to move in with me in the first place, but when I woke up this morning, with you by my side, looking at me in that way only you do it made me realize I didn't want to wait. I know this is what I want, I just need to know if you want it too.”

Caroline went back to gaping.

“If you think you can love me in 30 years and be happy with the life we have together, then marry me... Soooo would you? Marry me, I mean.” He finished nervously.

Caroline stared at him and he couldn't help but worry when she didn't reply right away. He was looking at her with the biggest puppy dog eyes filled with hope.

All the sudden Caroline smiled and threw herself on top of him, kissing him everywhere.

“Yes, I want that, I want all of that. I'll marry you.”

 

That's how the rest of their lives together started.

 

Elena was the maid of honor so she helped a lot and Giuseppe Salvatore, Stefan and Damon's father, was honored when he was asked to marry them, and he even let the happy couple use his big ass house for the event. Marcel found a band willing to play and Rebekah got a co-worker to take the pictures. The ceremony was outside, under a big tent. It snowed the night before and the air was cold, but Caroline didn't care, even if her dress was strapless and her shoulders were bare -she always dreamed of a princess-like dress-. Klaus always called her his snowflake, and the snow had been something present in their relationship, even though Caroline loved the sun and the summer, she would always look at the snow and think of the love of her life.

 

Besides, Stefan installed a huge heat system in the tent. The reception took place inside the house anyway, where they ate and danced and the closest friends gave small but emotional speeches.

Ironically enough, the first song they danced together was “Baby it's cold outside.” Klaus could feel Caroline giggling against his shoulder. It didn't take long before Klaus' father came asking to dance with the blushing bride. The biggest surprise of the night was Matt proposing to Rebekah.

 

That day was a day Caroline would never forget. She would remember it every time she looked at the beautiful ring on her finger. Like she did that day at the hospital. She forgot about everything that was going on around her for a while and relived the day she became Mrs. Mikaelson. Those events took her to the present day. She looked up and saw Klaus sitting on the chair next to her bed. He was holding the new born girl really close to his face, like he was taking in every single detail. He took a deep breath and blinked a few tears away.

 

“I'm gonna love you with everything I have and everything I am.” He promised to his daughter. Caroline felt her heart burst with happiness as she watched Klaus lean and kiss the baby's head. Having a kid was never in Klaus' plans until he met Caroline. He didn't know how to be a good father since he never had a good role model and James had only been in his life for a short period of time. While Caroline was pregnant, Klaus went though a couple of panic attacks, afraid that he would mess it up, hurt the child or be a bad father, but now that he had her in his arms, he knew. He knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for this little angel.

 

They decided to name her Emma, and before Emma was old enough to ask for a sibling, Klaus and Caroline gave her a little brother named John.

 

But like in every marriage, not everything was happiness and joy.

 

That night, years later, Caroline was practically hissing when she entered to the bedroom, exhausted after a long day of work. Klaus was right behind her, slamming the door on his way in. Caroline was part of the public relationship staff in charge of Mayor Lockwood's campaign. He was almost in his sixties, but he was still running for Mayor of New York. And Klaus wasn't thrilled with the idea of his wife spending time with the Mayor's son, who was also her ex and cheated on her years ago.

“I've told you! Nothing is going on!” She said while kicking her high heels off.

“Well excuse me, but I can't help but feel uncomfortable when my wife spends so much time with her ex boyfriend. This is the third night you've stayed at the office late this week. And the kids miss you.” Klaus said. Caroline groaned and rubbed her eyes.

“I know, I know, but the elections are next week, right now we're all super busy but things will be normal after that. And nothing is going on between Tyler and I. I don't even work at the same office, whenever he comes in, I walk out!” She said as she took off her earrings and put them in their box. “Besides it's not like I flirt with him, like certain journalist I know.” She added, turning around to glare at him.

Klaus looked at her confused.

“What? Who?”

“Genevieve!” Caroline hissed. “Come on Klaus, you're not that blind. She was practically sitting on your lap while doing the interview.”

Klaus rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“You know I don't care about her.”

“Yeah well, tell that to your face! Because you were really charming!” She spat.

“I had to be! Her interview could bring a lot of important people to the exhibition, and I could use all the help I can get advertising it. You know it better than anyone.” Klaus explained.

They stood there for a moment in silence. They hated when they fought and luckily the kids were out with Auntie Rebekah for the day, because they never wanted to fight with the kids in the house. Even if they were now old enough to understand that couples occasionally fight.

After a moment Caroline looked down and pouted, something Klaus hadn't seen her do in years.

“Do you still find me sexy?” She suddenly asked in a shy tone. “Because we've been together for over ten years and I'm afraid you could get bored, and then I see that young, pretty redhead getting so close and cozy with you and I can't help but feel-” her ramble was interrupted by Klaus' lips smacking against her owns. He had one hand holding her chin and the other moved around her waist. Caroline's arms moved around his neck and pulled him closer. When they broke apart, Klaus rested his forehead against hers.

“Caroline, I love you as much as I did the day I married you, nothing has changed, you're still the only woman for me. You're my snowflake, remember?” He said softly. Caroline took a deep breath and leaned closer, resting her head on his shoulder.

“You haven't called me that in years...” She said softly. “And I love you too.”

“I'm sorry, I guess I should say it out loud more often.”

Caroline didn't reply nor moved for a moment, she just stood there, enjoying the feeling of being in Klaus' arms.

“We need some time alone... can we go somewhere once the campaign is over?” When Klaus looked down at her, he saw she was using her puppy dog eyes, and they were super effective.

“Anywhere you want. I've heard Paris is nice this time of the year...”

 

Many years later, on a cold night of February, an event took place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was a celebration in Niklaus Mikaelson's honor. It showed his latest collection of paintings, but they didn't know it would also be the last. When Klaus knocked a spoon against his glass to get everyone's attention, Caroline couldn't help but feel like deja vu. He had done the exact same thing the night they met, during his first exhibition. Back then he was a young and lonely artist, and now he was old, his hair was gray and his hands a little shaky, but his suit was still impeccable, and his accent was as charming as always.

Everyone turned around to listen to the artist. He started by thanking everyone for being there that night. He turned to look at his wife for a moment before he continued. Her blonde hair was now white, and pinned up in a very elegant way. She had aged, but her eyes stayed bright and young, as blue as they could ever be.

“...Sadly, this is my last collection and probably my last exhibition.” Klaus announced. Everyone started whispering in shock. “Lets face it, I'm not getting any younger...” he joked before getting serious. “My Parkinson is keeping me from painting and drawing. So I'm using the occasion to announce that I'm retiring. Now, as you all know, most artist can't live without art, it's like the air they breathe...” He looked at Caroline again and couldn't help but smile. “That's not my case.”

 

They spent the last years of their lives together at the lake house, being visited by kids and grandkids, even Stefan and Marcel stopped by many times with their wives.

When Heaven took Caroline first, Klaus had a hard time. Stefan, being a widower himself, decided to stay with him so they could be a pair of grumpy old guys. But Klaus joined his wife soon after that.

He was buried next to her, on a snowy day.


End file.
